


Flushwork

by RatFlavored



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Sex, Bottom Erwin Smith, Come Marking, Dirty Talk, Ereri to eruri, Eventual Levi/Erwin Smith, Facials, M/M, Masturbation, Mild S&M, Minor Levi/Eren Yeager, Office Sex, Oral Sex, Sexual Tension, Spanking, Underage Drinking, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2018-02-16 08:17:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2262504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RatFlavored/pseuds/RatFlavored
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is in his late twenties, working as an architect for a demanding, yet high paying firm. While dating an eighteen year old who's cute but has no job, he meets Erwin Smith through work. His tastes begin to run more mature after spending more time with his new boss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this for awhile and figured I might as well post the first chapter. The rating will change for this fic as chapters progress, and kinks will be added to the tag list as well.

"Levi! Look what I got!" 

Levi looked in Eren's direction and saw what he was holding up proudly on display. A bottle of vodka. Levi rose a thin eyebrow. "Who bought that for you?" 

"Jean did. I bugged him for three weeks. Even after he turned twenty one he still won't buy me any booze but I convinced him I'd be responsible with it." Eren's smile was excited and a little nervous at the same time. It was obvious that he had never held a bottle before. There was a gleam in his eye showing how eager he was for his first drink. "Wanna drink with me? Help me put a dent in this."

"It's Tuesday. I have work tomorrow." 

"Oh come on. Have a little fun for once. It won't be that bad. We'll only have a little."

"You're not old enough to drink." Levi's voice was reprimanding, but he was slowly bending. He had been feeling the need to drink lately and hadn't indulged in awhile. Work was getting more stressful, among other things. It could be relaxing. Just something to soothe his frayed nerves. Except Eren was not the person he wanted to drink with. Levi wanted to drown his troubles alone. 

Eren's lower lip pushed out childishly and those big green eyes were puppy-like. "Levi. Come on." The teenager scooted closer to him, leaning against Levi's arm. "We don't have to drink that much. We won't go all out or anything."

With a heavy sigh, Levi gave in. "Fine. Go get glasses and something to mix it with." 

He could tell that Eren was cheering internally, but was concealing the feeling with a casual expression. "Cool. I'll get stuff." Levi watched as he rose and went to the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards. 

How did he end up with Eren? He was twenty seven and Eren was eighteen. People said that age didn't matter, and attraction was attraction, but at times Eren's youth was very apparent. At first Levi liked that he was younger, someone to liven up his life a little and to have a bit of fun with, but sometimes...

Eren came back with a jug of orange juice and two cups. He set them down on the shabby coffee table in front of them. Of course he didn't know what he was doing and poured the mixer in first, then eyeballed the vodka as he poured it in. Levi resisted the urge to take over and let the boy explore on his own. His excited green eyes shone as Eren lifted one of the two glasses and took a sip. 

"Oh-fuck. That's a little strong. Sorry." 

Levi took his own glass and took a drink. It wasn't that strong. "Have you found a job yet?"

Eren took another, longer drink and looked away. So that was a no. Levi sighed. 

"Armin is going to try and get a job for me soon. Something part time." 

"Ah." 

There was a silence between them. Eren folded his arms and Levi could tell he was uncomfortable, but it made him uncomfortable to date someone who didn't work. He had a high paying, demanding, nine to five job and Eren had never worked in his life. Just like this drinking thing, there were things about working that Eren just didn't understand. Did that make Levi shallow? That he thought less of him for not working? He brushed the idea off. It was more of an irritation. A sign of immaturity. Hopefully, Eren would get a good job and get the hell out of this shitty apartment. Levi had his fair share of shitty apartments in his youth too. Now that he was thinking of apartments...

"So is your rent covered this month?" Levi asked, looking down into his glass. 

"About that..." Eren gulped and ran a hand through his hair. Levi was asking all the wrong questions today. "I don't want to have to ask Jean to cover me again-"

"Then don't. I'll do it." Levi was already reaching for his wallet. Although Eren annoyed him, he was a really good guy. He just needed to learn money management. That would come in time. With age. 

"Levi, you don't have to. I was going to ask my dad." Eren's lips drew into a thin line and Levi shook his head. 

"Don't ask that fuck up." Eren hadn't talked to his dad since he walked out, and Levi didn't like what he heard about him. The man seemed like a creep and Eren was better off without him. He handed Eren what he had on him. "I'll get the rest tomorrow. That's a fourth of it there."

Hesitantly, Eren took the money and transferred it to his own wallet, which Levi noticed was bare save for an old receipt or two. "Levi. I'll pay you back. I promise." Eren's tone was serious. 

"Do it when you can. Don't worry about it until then." Although Levi wasn't made of money, he could cover his boyfriends rent for a month. Levi had held a nice job and knew how to budget and handle his money. 

"Levi, I-" Eren was blushing and seemed at a loss for words. The teen moved in to kiss him and Levi let him, leaning back into the couch and letting him lead. The kiss didn't last long as the apartment door opened. 

"Oh uh- hey guys." Levi opened his eyes and Eren moved away to see Jean in the doorway, holding a bag of groceries. His back was stiff and so was his wave. "I'll just um-"

Eren gave him a smirk as he leaned back and reached for his glass. "You want a drink? I made them strong." Eren raised the glass and finished it off, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. _Gross_. "Unless you don't think you can handle it, Jean." 

Jean looked like he wanted to run. "I can handle it, but I can't tonight I have to study. Don't mind me, I'm just going to go to bed early yeah."

My god was he eloquent when he spoke. Levi kept himself from rolling his eyes. This guy was something else. Jean waved again and dashed into his room, keeping his groceries in hand. Hopefully he didn't have any perishables. 

"Is it that awkward to walk in on two people kissing?" Levi commented once he heard the bedroom door shut. "We weren't even using tongue yet."

Eren chuckled as he poured a second drink, just as strong as the first. Come to think of it, where did he get the money for vodka if he had no income? "I could use tongue if you want me to." Levi's train of thought halted and he caught Eren's eyes and his eyebrows rose. 

"Since when did you get so suave?" He asked as he watched Eren down his second drink. His green eyes were turning glassy, already drunk. 

"Shut up and kiss me." Levi complied and was reminded just why he was dating Eren. 

The sex was pretty alright for both of them being intoxicated. In the beginning of their relationship Eren was terrible, too quick and too much fumbling, but Levi was fast to show Eren what he liked. Sometimes he still didn't pick up on his wants, but he was young, he could learn. Eren seemed to look up to Levi and took his advice for everything. That stroke of ego did wonders in the bedroom. They haven't tried anything too kinky yet, but he had a feeling Eren wouldn't be into it. The boy was too inexperienced to know what he wanted. 

Levi tied the condom and stood to throw it in the trash, not shy about walking through the living room naked. "We should move to the bedroom." 

"Mmmmm..." Eren remained sprawled out on the couch and reached for the bottle of vodka, taking a swig. "Not yet- hey don't take that!" 

"You've had more than enough. Can you even walk?" Levi pulled his boxers back on. "Come on. Get up drunkie."

"Don't call me that..." Eren pouted and looked to the floor and Levi sighed. Of course Eren would be an emotional drunk. It was kinda cute. 

"Just come on." He wrapped an arm around his shoulder and helped him stand, guiding him to the bedroom. 

Once Eren was in bed, Levi had no choice but to join him because the boy decided to cling to his arm. He wanted to take a quick shower, but Eren made him unable. He laid down in bed and set an alarm on his phone for tomorrow before drawing the blankets over them. He rolled to his back and sighed. There were posters on the wall, of different bands. Suddenly he felt like some sort of pervert, sleeping with a teenager. 

What was said next caught him completely off guard. 

"Levi. I love you." Eren mumbled sleepily as he nuzzled his arm. 

_Loved him?_

Eren loved him? 

Levi grew tense. 

Eren continued hold onto him. Levi wanted to run. He felt sick. Did he love him back? He answer was clear and burning in his mind. No. No he didn't love Eren back. The thought of hearing those three words again made his stomach turn. Those words shouldn't make someone feel like that. Eren loved him? The kid didn't even know what love was. He was drunk. He was stupid. He was young. 

Levi carefully removed Eren's arm and slipped from bed. He couldn't stay here with him anymore. It made him feel uneasy. It didn't feel right He tugged on his clothes and coat and left the small apartment. He checked his watch. 1 am. Fuck. He had work the next day. The alcohol was still in his system so driving was questionable. 

The wind was cold and blew straight through the wool coat he wore. January was freezing this time of year. The vodka from earlier kept him warm enough. 

Once he reached his apartment he drank half a glass of water and went straight to bed. If all went well, he wouldn't have a hangover the next morning. 

 

\----------

"Look who finally showed up!" Hanji's voice was kept low but teasing, not wanting to announce to the whole office that Levi had come in an hour late. "Hungover huh?"

With tired eyes, Levi glared up at her from his desk, his fingers rubbing his temples. "Can you fuck off?" He grumbled, turning back to his computer screen. Even though he had only come in an hour late, there was a stack of new designs in his inbox. Goddamn it. Just his fucking luck. Levi laid his head down on his desk, hiding in his cubicle. 

He had never come into work hungover once before, couldn't he get a break? He felt embarrassed enough as it was. Men his age shouldn't be doing this. He was twenty seven, he was getting too old to get drunk on week nights. 

Hanji ignored him. "I heard you're up for a promotion." 

"What?" His head shot up. "You're shitting me."

"Jesus Levi. If you were nicer to people maybe you can actually stay in the loop." He gave him a judging look and folded her arms. Was she expecting him to beg her to tell him? Levi's eyes narrowed again. 

"Just tell me." 

"Fine fine fine. They hired an outside guy for the Skyline project. He's the head guy in charge now." 

"He sounds like a dick."

"Shut up Levi, you haven't even met him. Anyway, he saw your work and wanted you to work with him. Asked for you by name and everything."

Levi's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" Someone finally noticed him? 

"Yeah. I think you're supposed to meet him sometime today." 

"Shit, really?" Meeting his new boss while hungover may my leave the best first impression. Levi skimmed through his email and noticed one about a meeting. Quickly, he opened it and read through. Yadda yadda yadda, meeting with Erwin Smith at 10 am. He glanced to the clock on the computer. 10:15. "Fuck fuck fuck I'm supposed to be meeting him now. Right now." He checked the room number and scrambled to find his folder. Quickly, he stood from his desk, ignoring Hanji as she patted him on the back for good luck. 

Of all days. Why did it have to be today? He was hungover as hell and late. He took sharp steps to the board room noticing that there were several people already in there. Fuck. They were probably waiting on him. He stopped before a paneled window to check his reflection, smoothing out his hair once more and straightening his tie. Goddamn he looked like hell. There were dark circles under his eyes and the corners of his lips drew down grumpily. He looked severe. Probably won't leave the best first impression, but whatever. His work and talent would prove he was worth it. 

The meeting room was just down the hallway. Through the windows of the room, he could see his boss, his boss's secretary, and someone he didn't recognize-

And holy shit. He was hot. 

Blond hair, immaculately groomed. Piercing blue eyes. His broad shoulders filled out the suit he was in. The man was effortlessly handsome. His suit was unbuttoned, but he looked professional. Businesslike, but approachable. Even when he was sitting, Levi could tell he was tall. He sat with a straight back, pen poised in hand as he waited for his boss to speak. 

Levi slipped into the meeting room. Of course he was going to get noticed, but at least he could try. He was headed for a seat when the head boss stopped him. 

"Levi, you're late." 

Levi held back a cringe when his boss caught him and called him out. He wanted to reply with something like "I was taking a dump." But upon better judgement , he went with something more professional. "I apologize." 

His boss gave a curt nod, "Don't be late next time."

Levi took his seat and gave no reply. There weren't any guarantees and he didn't want to draw any more attention to his terrible punctuality. His eyes glanced to the hot blond who seemed to be holding in a smile. Fucker thought this was funny, huh? Levi kept his hard stare on him as their goal was explained and a few details were polished out. 

Who did this guy think he was? Sure, he was a great contractor, but it's not like he was the Jesus of architecture or something. He sure seemed to act like a polished specimen, since he took notes while unreseareched figures were thrown around. The guy looked up for a moment and caught Levi glaring at him. He blinked slowly, but Levi took his lack of fear as a sign of mocking him and his stone face didn't change. If anyone was going to be the intimidating one here, it wasn't going to be this big blond bimbo. Finally, his boss finished up and Levi felt the need to introduce himself. 

Levi stood, the blond standing with him, and after a moment he held out his right hand confidently. "Levi Ackerman. Pleased to meet you." 

The man stood with him to shake his hand, but didn't extend an arm. Levi frowned in confusion when the blond purposefully held out his left hand. The pissy expression Levi wore dropped when he saw something he completely overlooked before. The right arm of his suit was pinned to his shoulder. This man was missing an arm. Levi felt like a jackass for not noticing, and then for putting out the wrong hand. He switched hands immediately to shake his left, face flushed with embarrassment. His boss sighed and shook his head with disappointment. 

"Erwin Smith. Likewise." The blond held his gaze for a moment, but a small smirk escaped. Levi's eyes narrowed again. Did he let him extend the wrong hand on purpose? Fucking asshole. He didn't care if he had one arm. Levi was going to kick his ass later. This is not the morning he needed when he was hungover. Not at all. 

Mr. Smith rose an eyebrow. "Well, shall we get to work?" One handedly, he opened his briefcase and took out some designs. 

"I'll leave you two for now." Levi's boss stood from the table, and with one last left handed handshake to Mr. Smith, he left. 

The new consultant pointed to a blueprint he had drawn out "If you'd move a little closer, you can see-"

"You did that on purpose." Levi interjected, still standing on the opposite side of the table. 

"Did what on purpose?" Those blue eyes were acting innocent, but Levi saw right past it. 

"The hand thing. The handshake. You waited for me first. You did that on purpose." Levi's jaw clenched as he spoke, but Mr. Smith seemed to be unimpressed. 

"You came in fifteen minutes late, then glared at me the entire duration of the meeting. I call us even." 

"How professional." Levi's upper lip curled in distaste. 

"Likewise." He replied cooly as Levi's face grew red with anger. "Now, if you'll come here and-"

"Fuck this." Levi interrupted a second time. "I'm outta here. Find yourself a new designer." He headed to the door.

"I asked for the best they had. They recommended you." The man's voice turned firm and his stare was commanding. "Do you consider yourself the best? Yes or no?"

Levi challenged him by lifting his chin and folding his arms. His mouth opened to say something biting, something sarcastic, but nothing came to mind. As much as this guy was a pain in the ass, he liked to hear that he was the best. Levi was eager to show off his work. His jaw clicked shut and matched that hard blue gaze. The missing arm didn't seem to hamper this guys confidence whatsoever. Although he was pissed off right now, Levi had to admire that. He must have some huge balls packed away or something. 

Mr. Smith took his silence as a yes. "Now that we have figured that out, I'd like for you to look this over." He slid the paper across the table and leaned back in his chair, arm folded over his stomach as he waited for Levi's reaction. 

Levi's eyes narrowed once more in suspicion. This guy really thought highly of him, didn't he? He wanted the best, but there were plenty of other designers that would be happy to work with a contractor like him. Levi looked at the design critically, lifting the paper with thin fingers and getting a better view. "Boring." He tossed the paper back to the table where it slid toward Mr. Smith. The man's thick eyebrows rose again and looked like he was about to say something, but Levi spoke first. "Don't fell me you were trying for 'minimalistic.' This building is just boring." 

Mr. Smith remained silent as he took the paper back, cocking his head to the side as he looked it over once more. "I suppose you're right." Levi gave himself a point in on his imaginary scoreboard. "But that's why I asked for you. I've heard you're brutally honest, and that's what I need alongside your talent." 

"You're not the type who likes bullshit either?" Levi's tense shoulders relaxed a fraction. One minute, this guy pissed him off, and the next he was relating to him. 

"Not when it's about my job." Levi nodded slowly. Maybe he could earn Levi's respect. In time of course. Mr. Smith checked his watch. "I have an appointment with a concrete company. Our meeting will have to be cut off here. Next time don't be late." Levi bristled, but the man' stone wasn't reprimanding. He was teasing him again. 

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow?" Levi asked, unsure of their work schedule together. 

"Actually, I'd prefer if we could meet later in the week. Would you like to discuss the design over dinner? How does Friday sound?"

Levi did a quick mental rundown of his schedule. "That works just fine."

"Wonderful. I'll reserve a spot for us at Salvitore's at seven. Bring your ideas with you." Mr. Smith shuffled his papers back into his suitcase and stood. He rounded the meeting table and extended his hand first this time with a hint of a smile. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

The smile wasn't returned, but Levi didn't hesitate to take his hand this time. "I'll see you Friday."

And with that Mr. Smith left the office. Levi remained rooted to the spot. This Erwin Smith person was interesting. Attractive, smart, mildly funny, but he was still an enigma. What happened to his arm? He watched through the hallway window until he was gone, finding himself looking forward to Friday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! I have to admit that I do feel a little vicious glee knowing that the Ereri won't last. It's not bad, but they're not as compatible in my opinion. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think these guys believe they're older than they actually are haha.

Wednesday

 

Hanji leaned over the side of his cubicle, her long limbs making her seem spider-like as she watched Levi type over his shoulder. Sometimes he wondered why she decided to befriend him. Hanji was eccentric and outgoing. She could talk to any of the guys in the office for awhile before creeping them out, but instead chose to hang around the token gay guy. Was she gay too? Who even knew. The last thing Levi wanted to know about would be Hanji's snatch and what she did with it. Perhaps she just liked to hang around him because she was taller than him and she knew it fed into his Napoleon complex. Or for the simple fact she could rile him up easily. 

Levi refused to acknowledge her, glaring at the screen as her silent presence became more and more obnoxious. Finally, she broke the silence. "So, how did it go yesterday?" 

"How did what go?" Levi replied, playing dumb. 

"Your new project. How's that?" 

"Fine. We're building a building."

"Wow. I wouldn't have guessed." 

"Go away." Levi took the edge of his computer screen and turned it, trying to hide what he was typing from the overly curious woman. Of course that didn't stop her. Nothing stopped Hanji when she wanted to know something. 

"Who are you googling? Who's Erwin smith?"

"Nobody. Go the fuck away." He repeated in a growl. 

She rounded the cubicle and stood right behind Levi to get a better look, elbow propped on the back of his chair. Levi was curious about this Mr. Smith guy. He talked like he had a pair, so there must be something to back it up. When he hit the enter button, Erwin's face popped up and a list of projects under it. He scrolled down a little. There was a Wikipedia page? Levi was impressed until he saw how small it was. He scoffed. It was probably made by the blond himself. Still, it listed his age (thirty three), his official titles (structural and design engineer), and a few hobbies (reading, chess, sailing, astronomy). What a boring person. _Chess?_ Really? Levi scoffed. "That's a goddamn lie. He can't be thirty three. He's way older than that." What kind of person lied on their own Wikipedia page?

"He's an engineer huh?" Hanji read over his shoulder, genuinely curious about the goings on in the design firm and who was working within it. 

Levi sent her a look over his shoulder. "Well yeah. Why else would I be working with him?" Maybe he would have something on his Facebook. He returned to google to find Erwin Smith' s Facebook easily. Damn. Everything but his smiling profile picture was private. Levi had the feeling Mr. Smith was intelligent, but this was a point in his favor. It wouldn't be good to keep everything public all the time where just anyone could see it. 

The picture showed the blond with windswept hair and a broad smile. It was odd to see him like that. He seemed so serious and stone faced at work. Upon further inspection Levi noticed the background was blue, the ocean. The picture must have been taken while sailing. Mr. Smith also had two whole arms, both supporting him as he leaned on the side of the boat. Why did he have this old ass profile picture? His arm must have been good and healed when he met him the other day. 

He hovered the mouse over the add friend button, but didn't click. They weren't friends. A little voice in the back of his mind said "not yet" but he stifled it. He didn't know this guy. They had only met once. He clicked on a few of the projects Erwin had helped, and found his specialty was tall buildings and office, like himself. They also both had an interested in green urban design. The only thing wrong was that all of his construction projects seemed a little boring in Levi's opinion. Very blocky, and not in a modern art sort of way. Maybe he could help with that. Maybe it would impress him. He took a piece of paper from his drawer and began to sketch. 

Levi felt a chin on his shoulder and grunted in annoyance as he nudged Hanji off of him. "Can you go? I'm trying to draw something here." 

"You're not drawing. You're sketching. Big difference." Sure he wasn't using a program, or even a T-Square, but he was still drawing. 

"Touch me one more time I swear to god." Levi grumbled under his breath as he regained his focus. Even for a quick sketch on printer paper, his design wasn't bad. Strong supporting beams made out of concrete, but appearing light as air. The blocky design was retained, but Levi added plentiful windows to take the weight away. 

As Levi slipped into the zone, Hanji left to her own workspace. With all distractions gone, Levi fell into his design. It had been awhile since he had last hand sketched for fun, most of his time taken up by computer programs and paperwork. It was refreshing. Although it was done on regular white paper, Levi scanned it into the computer to tidy it up a little. There, now it looked good. 

He made several other building designs using this process. When he was done, Levi leaned back in his chair and flipped through the new additions in his portfolio. The project was for a commercial building to be used for office space. It needed to be sturdy, practical, yet stylish and modern. Mr. Smith should like this. They were way better designs than the projects on his stupid Wikipedia page. 

 

Thursday.

 

Eren was texting him at work again. Levi had asked him not to do that, but sometimes a distraction was welcome. 

_Hey. -EJ_

Levi sighed. He hated one word greetings. If he had something to say then say it. 

_What? -LA_

It was only a few moments until Eren replied. 

_Just saying hey. I haven't heard from you in awhile. -EJ_

Levi sighed again. It had only been a couple days since they got drunk together. He hadn't even addressed that Eren said those three little words to him. It seemed like he didn't remember. Thank god. Levi had no answer for him. He felt like an asshole for still dating him after that.

_I've been busy with work. -LA_

It was a lame excuse. Sure, work had been keeping him busy, but he usually was able to make time for Eren. A few things were making him keep his distance other than that love word. Had Eren found a job yet? Paying one month of rent for him was one thing, but if it became multiple months, Levi's patience would wear out quickly. He wasn't a sugar daddy, even if he did care about Eren's welfare. If he was distracting him from being a responsible adult it wouldn't do them any good. 

_Oh right haha. Well we should hang out. I miss you. -EJ_

Levi stared down at his phone. What was he going to do? Obviously Eren wanted to further develop their relationship, but Levi wasn't so sure about it. Was Eren the right person for him? Right now it wasn't looking like he was, but maybe in time it could work out. If Eren were older... He should stick with it and give him time. Eren had drive and ambition, but no clear focus. With a few more years under his belt, he was sure Eren could be a good boyfriend. 

A flash of blond hair caught his eye, taking him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Mr. Smith leaving his boss's office. When had he come in? His head poked above the wall of his cubicle drew the man's attention and he received a nod of acknowledgement. Levi's confused frown didn't scare him away and Mr. Smith came to his desk, standing in the doorway of his cubicle. Levi swiveled his chair, tucked his phone away and picked up a pen, feigning productivity. Of course this guy saw straight through his ruse. 

"Texting at work? Shame on you." Mr. Smith's smile, teasing gaze, and quiet tone let Levi know he was only messing with him. He obviously didn't want his other co-workers overhearing and getting Levi in trouble. 

Levi returned Mr. Smith's playfulness with a sharp glare. "Don't you have other shit to do than bother architects?" 

The smile on Mr. Smith's lips didn't falter. "I'll see you Friday." The banter between them was quick as it was when they first met. Levi had the feeling that this guy didn't encounter too many people who didn't automatically bend to him. It was the same for him. It was rare when he didn't successfully scare someone off, or at least intimidate them. Mr. Smith was a challenge. The man lingered for a moment, keeping his eyes on Levi before he turned to make his exit. Did he see Levi as a challenge too? 

Levi watched him like a hawk as he turned left the office, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. They were on the sixth floor. That was a shit ton of stairs, even for walking down. Was he in shape or something? It was hard to tell when that suit covered up every inch of his body. 

Damn. He forgot to mention the designs he had made. Levi supposed that was a topic for their meeting over dinner anyway. 

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Shit. Eren was still waiting for a reply. 

_Wanna hang out Friday? -EJ_

_Sorry. I have to stay late for a meeting on Friday. -LA_

_Damn. Saturday then? -EJ_

_Saturday works. -LA_

He wasn't sure what they would do, but Eren always had ideas. His youth gave him plenty of energy and creativity. That was one thing Levi did like about him. At least he kept things lively. 

He leaned back in his chair and looked to the clock again. He had a little over twenty four hours before their dinner meeting. Maybe then he'd figure out this Erwin Smith person a little better. 

 

It was Friday. Finally. Levi left work a little early, his excuse was that he was basically working late with this meeting. After arriving home, he took a quick shower and changed into something that wasn't a suit and and tie. He decided a white dress shirt with a grey sweater over the top would work fine, something business casual. The weather was somewhat chilly and he still looked professional. 

Unlike the morning of their first meeting, Levi wasn't hungover and exhausted. He made sure he got enough sleep so the dark circles under his eyes weren't as pronounced. Hopefully he looked fine. With one last look in the mirror, he tucked his portfolio under his arm and headed to his car. 

Luckily, the restaurant was relatively close by. As he pulled into the parking lot, he wondered which car was Mr. Smith's. Was it the shiny Cadillac, or the brand new sports car? He had to be the type to drive something expensive, right? Could he even drive with one hand? Levi found himself curious about how the man adapted. 

He entered the restaurant precisely at seven, but found that Mr. Smith was already waiting for him at the table. As Levi approached, the blond glanced up and gave a small smile in greeting, then stood and extended his hand. "Thank you for meeting me here. My schedule didn't allow any openings this week."

Levi let out a short huff of a laugh as he took Mr. Smith's hand to shake it. So he didn't wait for Levi to make an ass of himself this time. How kind. "I understand." His reply was short and he sat down.

The waiter stopped by to ask Levi for his beverage preference and he ordered a soda, earning him an odd look from Mr. Smith. Levi raised an eyebrow and the blond shrugged, keeping his thoughts to himself. He noticed on the other side of the table, there was a glass of red wine. After a glance at the menu, they both placed their orders. Once the waiter left, Levi set his eyes on the man in front of him. 

"Not everyone is fancy like you, Mr. Smith." He replied to the look he received from earlier. 

The man chuckled. "I never said I was fancy or that you weren't." He covered all of his bases. Smart. It left no room for Levi to try for a comeback. "And please, call me Erwin." 

Levi still couldn't figure out what kind of parents named their kid _Erwin_ of all names. They were probably fucked up somehow. Erwin was such a terrible name. 

"So, Erwin." Levi took out his portfolio and opened it on the table. If they were going to have a meeting over dinner, he would get right to business. No use in wasting time. "Tell me what you think of these." The waiter arrived with his soda and Levi set it far away, taking precautions so it didn't spill on his work. He passed the designs across the table for Erwin to take. 

The lighting in the restaurant was low, but enough to clearly see the dark lines of Levi's designs. Erwin's blue eyes seemed different than before in the dim light. They seemed more intense, but Levi could tell just by watching him that he liked what he was looking at. They roamed the page, taking in all the details as Erwin spoke. "What made you grow to love architecture?" 

The question was one Levi was asked before. His reply was normal, if a little boring. "I excel at math as well as art. Architecture is a mix of both." 

Erwin glanced up with his eyebrows dipped low. He wasn't satisfied with Levi's usual uninterested answer. "No, what makes you _love_ architecture? What inspires you?" 

The question was deeply personal. Erwin sure didn't dick around. No one had asked him that question before. The blond waited patiently as Levi tried to search for an answer. He took a long sip from his beverage before speaking. 

"As a child, I used to live across the street from an old church." Levi sat back in his chair, looking across the table at his own drawings. "We didn't attend, but the building was intricate. The windows were huge. The stone was solid, but it looked delicate." Levi looked down into his soda, playing with the straw as he spoke. "I've always liked structures, and I've had an interest in design ever since I understood what it was." 

Erwin nodded, seeming to understand where Levi was coming from. "It shows. Your designs are light as air for an approximate ten thousand ton building. These are beautiful." The compliment was appreciated. It wasn't often that his work was so fawned over. It felt good to be noticed. 

"And your blocky designs looked like the building weighed a hundred thousand tons." Levi replied to Erwin's praise with a jab of his own. Erwin rose his thick eyebrows in surprise and Levi elaborated how he knew of his buildings. "I googled you."

The look of surprise morphed into one of enjoyment and Erwin smiled. "I googled you too." 

Levi huffed out a short laugh of amusement. Erwin was smart indeed. Levi felt like, for whatever reason, he liked the guy. Even if he was an asshole half the time. "Nice Wikipedia page." Levi smirked, feeling like he'd won. 

"It's helpful for resumes." Erwin shot back wearing a smile, showing he also found this banter funny. 

"You keep your Facebook profile private, but you have a Wikipedia page?" Levi asked, implying Erwin's online privacy strategy wasn't logical. 

"You keep all of your Facebook profile private except your videos," Shit. _Shit._ Had he forgotten to make those private too? Erwin's smile turned wicked and Levi knew he found something incriminating before he even spoke. "Nice ice bucket challenge video, by the way." 

Fucking god damn it. A couple weeks earlier, Eren convinced him to do it. Levi thought it was stupid and tried to convince him that he would quietly donate, but he caved under Eren's constant badgering and allowed him to dump a bucket of ice over his head. He glared at Erwin and growled through his teeth. "It was for charity." 

"Indeed it was." Erwin's smug smile stayed as their food was delivered. Levi pushed at a meatball with his fork and looked for a way to get back at him. 

"You lied about your age on Wikipedia. You're not thirty three. You're probably forty." A joke about Erwin's age was a little low, but it didn't seem to phase the man. Was he even upset about being over the hill? 

"I didn't lie. That's my age." Erwin spun some of his fettuccine noodles around his fork. If he was upset that Levi called him old, he didn't show it. "You don't look a day over twenty. Is that why you didn't order wine?" 

Levi bristled. He knew he looked young, but he wasn't twenty. The comment should be flattering, but it was only irritating. "Twenty seven actually." Erwin looked genuinely surprised.Their age gap wasn't as wide as the blond thought. "I age well. Do you feel less guilty now?" 

"Guilty about what?" Erwin cocked his head.

Levi rolled his eyes. He could tell that Erwin was flirting with him, but did the man realize it himself? With those good looks he shouldn't be this rusty. "Never mind." He took a bite of his spaghetti before asking a question of his own. "So how did you figure out structural engineering was the path for you?" 

It was Erwin's time to think over his answer. "My father built our house. I found it fascinating and I helped as much as I could considering my age at the time." So that explained it. Levi gave a nod to his answer and let Erwin continue. "When I got older, I became more interested in mathematics and construction." 

"Nerd." Levi retorted over his glass of soda before taking a sip. "I know you said you wanted the best, but what made you ask for me specifically? I heard you asked for me by name." He wasn't fishing for compliments, but was genuinely curious. What the hell did Erwin see in him?

Erwin wiped his hands on his napkin before reaching for one of Levi's designs again. "You designed this to be environmentally friendly without a second thought. I didn't even have to ask." He handed the design to Levi to see for himself. "These buildings are refreshing. They're new, modern." Levi glanced over his own work. "I can imagine this building in life, brilliantly shining in the sunlight and standing the test of time." Levi frowned lightly. Why did Erwin care so much about one building? As if reading his mind, Erwin continued. "I know it's only one building made by a company, but I take pride in my work and I have passion for what I do. It's clear to me that you do as well." 

Erwin's speech was impressive and hit the nail on the head. Although Levi didn't seem like the type, he had a soft spot for nature and the design was a good example of that. He thought nothing of it when he made the parking lot out of porous cement and a garden on the roof to catch rain runoff. Erwin had left him without anything to say. It was all true. 

"Take your pick." Levi moved his soda again and reached for the rest of the designs, spreading them out on the table. 

Erwin picked up the one he kept referencing to. "I like this one. Great design, and mid range on cost. It would be fairly simple to budget for, and we could splurge on materials if desired."

Levi frowned. He liked the one Erwin picked, sure, but there was another he liked more. His hand moved to find the other drawing. "You mean you did't like this one?"

"-I also liked" Erwin also reached for the one Levi was trying to find. In the shuffle he bumped Levi's arm, which tipped over the half full soda glass. 

"Shit shit shit!" Both Levi and Erwin quickly gathered the papers and held them in the air as soda ran across the table and onto Levi's lap. Their first priority was to get Levi's hard work out of the way of the liquid. It was a scramble to get the designs back into the portfolio case. 

"Damn. I'm very sorry." Erwin apologized as Levi left him to the task of putting everything safely away. With his lips pulling thin in displeasure, Levi tried to use the cloth napkin to mop off his lap. Once the portfolio was locked up, Erwin used his own napkin to wipe up the soda that was still threatening to trickle off the side of the table. 

"It's not your fault. It was my elbow..." It was of both their faults, but whatever. "I'm glad none of the papers got wet."

Erwin flagged down a waiter and asked for the check. With their food gone and a soggy lap, Levi assumed they were done. "It would have been a tragedy for these to get soiled." Erwin tapped the portfolio and slid it across the dry side of the table for Levi to take. The waiter returned and they both paid and stood. 

"I'm glad I'm wearing dark slacks otherwise people would think I pissed myself." Levi commented as they left the restaurant. Thank god he chose black for tonight and not white. 

"I thought you said you were twenty seven, not eighty seven." Erwin's retort was quick, and Levi had to let a small smile slip. 

"You're the aging one. It's your job to piss yourself, old man." Again, the jokes about old age rolled off Erwin's back and Levi received a relieved smile in return. Was he worried he'd be mad over a spilled drink? Maybe he came off as a bigger jerk than he pretended to be. 

"Right." Erwin slipped a hand in his pocket and took out his wallet. After finding something, he replaced it in his pocket, then held out a small white card. "Here. I'll contact you, but here's my information." Levi took his card and slipped it in his wallet. "Feel free to friend me on Facebook as well." Erwin added with a cheeky smirk. Bastard. 

"Yeah okay." Levi replied sarcastically. Erwin looked like he wanted Levi to friend him, so he was going to make it a point to not do it just to piss him off. He lingered outside the restaurant, clearing his throat and getting easy to speak. Erwin beat him to it again. 

"Looks like we'll have to pick a different restaurant for next time, since we embarrassed ourselves here."

Next time? Were these dinner meetings going to be a thing? Levi didn't mind that one bit. "More like _you_ embarrassed me." Erwin barked out a laugh and Levi glanced over at him with a half smile. "But sure. I'll pick next time." He gestured to his soda soaked pants. "Now I'm going to go home and change before my balls get too sticky. I'll see you next time. Call or text if you need any more work done." 

"Will do. Goodbye Levi." And with that, Erwin walked away. 

Levi wore a small smile on his face as he walked to his car. Dinner was fun. He was a jackass when he first met him, but Mr. Smith turned out not bad. Not bad at all... His smile dropped. Oh shit. Did Erwin drive? Should he have offered him a ride? Levi turned and rose on his toes to try and see Erwin and was able to view his blond head ducking into a hybrid Honda Civic. Huh. He'd have to ask about that later. Maybe he had some cool modifications on it. 

Levi stepped into his own car and drove home. Only when he was inside his apartment did he check his phone. Three texts from Eren. 

_Hey -EJ_

_What's up? -EJ_

_Oh yeah, you're at work. Sorry! See you tomorrow! -EJ_

Levi felt guilty. Even if their dinner meeting was about work, Levi enjoyed it much more than he should have. Eren cared about him, but the feeling wasn't there in return. The kid could make someone else so happy. Should he give it more time? Maybe his feelings would change. Eren had a lot of potential. 

_See you Saturday. -LA_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than usual! This chapter turned out longer than usual as well, so hopefully that makes up for the wait. Big thanks to Chhharl for being a great beta with super helpful input!

_Where will we be meeting tomorrow? -ES_

Levi didn't recognize the number, but there was only one person it could be. He added Erwin's name to his list of contacts. 

_How did you get my number? -LA_

Erwin gave him a card, but Levi didn't offer one in return. Was this guy some kind of creep? The reply was fast. 

_Your contact information was at the bottom of the email you sent me containing the electronic drafts. Where do you like to eat? -ES_

Okay. Valid. Not as creepy as Levi suspected. He hadn't used the card Erwin gave him other than email, and they hadn't set up a place for tomorrow. Levi didn't really care where they went. 

_You're the boss. You decide where we go. -LA_

He paid for his coffee and took a sip of his pumpkin latte as he stared at his phone, waiting for a reply. Eren usually texted him back quickly, but he wasn't sure about Erwin. He seemed like a busy guy. Like Levi suspected, there wasn't an immediate reply. He headed back to the office early. Rarely did he take a full break. Levi was riding the elevator with several other people when his phone buzzed. 

_I consider us partners in work. What kind of food do you like? -ES_

Partners? Levi huffed in amusement. Erwin was basically his boss. He asked for him to work with, and had the ability to dismiss him from the project. 

_Chinese. Pick a place. -LA_

Any Chinese place would do. Levi liked it all. Even the cheap greasy places where takeout was the only option. 

The elevator dinged and Levi looked up from his phone to an unfamiliar hallway. Damn. He must have missed his floor. He hit the button for his floor again and rode down, ignoring his phone until he was at his desk again. 

_Classy. I'll find a place. -ES_

Classy? Levi glared down at the words on his phone. What the hell was he implying? That Chinese food wasn't classy? Or was he being honest? Sarcasm was a little hard to read over just texts. 

_Do work related dinner meetings need to be held at fancy restaurants only? -LA_

He sent a second text 

_Next time we'll meet at McDonalds. How about that? -LA_

Levi set his phone to the side and started typing at his computer, replying to a few emails when his phone buzzed again. It was probably an apology from Erwin for being an ass. Levi decided to let it sit sadisticly for a couple minutes. He really shouldn't be texting at work, but this was work related, right? Technically they were discussing meeting plans. Finally, he picked up his phone again. 

_Sounds good. There will be plenty of soda for you to spill. -ES_

"Fucker." Levi murmured. He could practically see the smirk Erwin wore through the text message. 

_Yeah. Spill it right over your head. -LA_

What a great comeback. Erwin made him sound dumb. 

_Keep it up. Smith. -LA_

Despite their banter, Levi caught his lip twitching up at the corner in a small smile. Friday couldn't come fast enough. 

A couple hours later he received another text from Erwin. 

_Peking. 7pm. Sound good? -ES_

Levi wanted to keep the conversation going, but he had no idea what to say. Why did he have to suck so bad at social interactions? He typed out a short reply. 

_Sure. -LA_

This short conversation with Erwin was making his work day go by quickly and he didn't want it to end. The problem was that he didn't know what to say now. How did Levi even have any friends if he couldn't even try to make conversation with Erwin? He was a goddamn adult, he should be able to talk with someone he wanted to talk with. He slowly tapped out a text. 

_Have you been there before? -LA_

_Yes. It's good. They have a couple good authentic Chinese dishes I enjoy. -ES_

_How do you know they're authentic? -LA_

_I've been to China several times. I travel a lot for work. -ES_

_How many places have you been to? -LA_

_Not as many as I'd like. They keep me in the states mostly, but I've been to China and England. Sorry if I made if sound like I'm extremely well traveled. -ES_

_Were you trying to impress me or something? -LA_

_I can impress you in other ways. -ES_

_Oh really? How so? -LA_

_My work ethic and incredible wit. -ES_

_I've been impressed with your humility so far. -LA_

_Keep it up Ackerman. -ES_

_I will. Where would you find another architect? -LA_

_I know a few other people who could design for me. -ES_

_But none as talented as myself. -LA_

_I can't tell if that's honesty or cockiness or both. You didn't come off as full of yourself before. -ES_

_I was joking. -LA_

_When one is joking through texts, they put a smiley winky face at the end. Or so I'm told. - ES_

_I don't do text faces. You'll have to imagine them. -LA_

_You don't? :o -ES_

_Jesus Christ. I'm not twelve. I don't use faces. They're called emoticons get with the times. -LA_

_Are you calling me old? :( -ES_

_Yes. Imagine a winky smiley face here. -LA_

The rest of his day was filled with conversation. He didn't feel like he was annoying him at all, even though these were work hours and Erwin seemed like a busy person. The texts came at a steady pace, a nice volley back and fourth to keep Levi interested until work ended. 

Before he knew it he was at home, getting into his pajamas. Strangely enough, the conversation flowed well over text. Even if they were really talking about nothing in particular he was getting to know him a little better. Who would have thought a thirty three year old guy could text so well, even if he used god damned emoticons. 

Levi climbed into bed and set his alarm early. Their meeting was tomorrow after a full day of work. His phone screen lit up again with a new text from Erwin and he began tapping out a reply. 

It was a little odd to be texting a co-worker while in bed, but Erwin was quickly becoming more than that. Levi could see him being a friend in no time. A really fucking attractive friend. It was almost eleven. Erwin was probably in his bed as well. His impeccable blond hair would probably be askew, and his eyes might be softer with sleepiness. Maybe he would sleep shirtless. The man seemed to keep pretty fit, and would probably look good with his sleep pants riding low... 

Ugh. Levi mentally slapped himself. He couldn't be thinking like that. Erwin was probably straight for one. For two they worked together. He couldn't grow doe eyed over someone. Especially when he was still dating someone else. Erwin could be a friend, but not more. He'd have to figure out how to keep his heartbeat steady when he saw him next. The man made him feel anxious in the best kind of way. Levi had a feeling that the knotted feeling in his stomach was there to stay. He would just have to ignore it. 

He turned to his side and replied. 

_I'm heading to bed. -LA_

Levi had full intentions of setting his phone aside and immediately sleeping, but he kept his phone in his hands, waiting for a reply that came a few seconds later. Although he already knew what it said, he found himself reading it anyway, mentally picturing Erwin's voice as murmur. 

_Me too. Goodnight Levi. -ES_

\-----

The Chinese place was easy to find and in the business side of town. Levi hadn't been there before, but the neighborhood was nearby and he'd driven past several times. This time he made an effort to be there early, arriving there before Erwin. 

Unlike Erwin's sarcasm from yesterday, the restaurant he chose was indeed classy. Levi stuffed his hands in his pants pockets and frowned at the expensive looking decorations as he waited for the server to seat him. Shit. How was he going to afford all these forty dollar meals every week? Erwin was going to run him dry in no time and they really were going to have to start meeting at McDonald's. The server directed him to a table and he ordered some green tea and a glass of wine for Erwin. 

Again, he had put some thought into his clothes. He wore black slacks and a dark red button down shirt, paired with slip on dress shoes and a grey tie. Still professional, but damn he looked snazzy. Even after a long day of work, he wanted to at least look like he had energy for more. 

There were a few minutes until Levi expected Erwin, so he pulled his phone out of his pocket. There was a new text and his thumb tapped on the notification to open it. Oh, it was Eren. 

_Heyy what's up? -EY_

Levi held in a sigh. Sure he was off work, but he was a little busy. Well technically he wasn't busy now since he was waiting for Erwin, but he didn't know what to say. He was just meeting Erwin but he didn't want to reply just yet. He stared at the text on his phone, unable to start typing. 

"Levi." His head shot up at the sound of Erwin's deep voice and he spotted the blond quickly. Levi put his phone away. 

He gave Levi a wave, his hand free since he had a shoulder strap for his briefcase. Smart. Levi waited for him to sit and Erwin spoke first.

"You beat me here. Good to see you." He offered Levi a smile as he got comfortable in his seat and he nodded in return. 

"You too. I took the liberty of ordering a glass of wine for you. You liked red last time, so I figured this would be fine." Levi felt awkward as he gestured to the glass and shrugged. 

Erwin didn't seem to mind his awkwardness at all and took a sip as Levi flipped through the menu. A low hum made Levi look up to see Erwin's pleased expression. "You have good taste in wine."

"I don't like wine. I told the waitress to give you Boone's Farm and I guess she thought I was joking." Levi's tone was deadpan and caused Erwin to chuckle. He had heard it before, and Levi didn't consider himself a master of comedy, but suddenly he wished a had more of a sense of humor. He wanted to hear Erwin's laugh again. 

"I don't think it's Boone's Farm, but it's good." Erwin swirled the glass and took a sniff, Levi watching with a raised eyebrow. Was he some kind of wine connoisseur or something? Erwin looked up to find Levi watching him. "Do you want to try it?"

"Not after you stuck your nose in it." Levi's upper lip curled in disgust. 

"Come on-" Erwin held out the glass, and Levi leaned back in refusal. "Just a sip. You'll like it. It's sweet." 

"You aren't going to stop until you get your way are you?" Levi groaned and Erwin just smiled at him. Those blue eyes were incredibly persuasive, and Erwin was already very aware of their power over him. 

Levi heaved a sigh and took the wine glass. "I don't know why I'm doing this." He admitted as he looked over the glass. There was a little mark where Erwin's lips had touched the glass. Levi's first instinct was to rotate the glass to find a new area, but upon impulse he set his lips where Erwin's were moments ago. It wasn't intimate, it wasn't a kiss. It wasn't anything, but Levi could feel his heart beat a little faster in his chest and blood rushed to his face. He kept his expression neutral and under control. 

"How is it?" Erwin prompted, eyebrows raised and hopeful. The blond had been watching him, and Levi saw a strange glint in his eyes. Had he noticed that Levi purposefully put his mouth on the same spot? Shit. Levi swallowed. 

"It's okay." Levi set the glass back on the table and pretended to look around for the waitress to avoid making eye contact with Erwin again. He spotted her quickly and found that she was watching the pair of them with a little smile on her lips. What the hell was her problem? Levi's eyes narrowed as he tried to stare her down, but she felt it was necessary to come over anyway. 

"Hi! How are you two doing this evening? I'll be your waitress." Her voice was honey sweet and already was getting on Levi's nerves. "Can I take your order?" 

Erwin leaned back and opened the menu, glancing briefly at the contents before ordering. Clearly Erwin had favorite dishes he stuck to. "I'll have the Peking duck."

"I'll have the same." It was quickly becoming a habit of his to order the same thing as Erwin. The man seemed to have good taste, and he knew what was good here. 

"How cute." The waitress gave them a gentle knowing smile. "Are you two together?" 

Levi's jaw dropped. Did she think they were a couple? _Really?_ Just because he ordered the same thing? Or was it because he shared a glass with Erwin and they were seated at a table for two? God damn it. His mouth shut as it all clicked into place. 

His grey eyes darted to Erwin and he opened his mouth to say something to her but nothing came out when he saw Erwin's expression. He was gazing fondly at Levi, his smile affectionate. The face Erwin was making at him made Levi feel warm, as well as shocked him speechless. 

"It's our anniversary." Erwin's smile grew bigger and the waitress awwed and held a hand to her chest, touched. Levi was confused at Erwin's lie, but he felt a foot under the table tap his own. It probably meant "play along" but Levi was having a hard time looking convincing. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, trying to make his posture seem more comfortable and less anxious. Why was he even going along with this? It was harmless, but he couldn't bring himself to ruin the game. Erwin looked like he was having fun. 

"That's adorable! I'll be sure to give you a free dessert on your ticket." Erwin's smile grew brighter. Was this just about free dessert? This was the most uncomfortable situation in his life and it was just for free dessert?! He shot an angry glare in Erwin's direction. Erwin flinched when Levi kicked his shin, but other than that he held his perfect white smile. 

"My brother is gay." The waitress announced as she refilled Levi's water cup. "He and his partner are perfect for each other. They live in an apartment together, which is immaculately decorated..." Oh here we go. This was the last thing he wanted to listen to. Some stranger talking to him about something he didn't give a shit about. 

As waitress took the opportunity to recount her personal life. Levi watched Erwin nod and smile politely, asking follow up questions and engaging the obnoxious woman. The waitress was completely charmed by Erwin. Not surprising, everyone seemed to be. 

The conversation was running long. Why couldn't she just shut up and leave? He didn't ask for this. Levi took Erwin's wine glass and took a big gulp. If he was going to play along to get free dessert, Erwin owed him this. 

Erwin saw Levi take the drink and flashed the waitress another smile. He rubbed his hand over his middle. "Ah, I heard my stomach rumble. Would you be able to get those orders in for us please?" He politely asked the woman. 

"Of course!" The waitress seemed pleased as ever and gave a small wave as she walked away toward the kitchen. 

As soon as she was out of earshot, Levi hissed at Erwin. "You embarrassed the hell out of me for free dessert?" 

"The ice cream here is phenomenal." Erwin's explanation wasn't a good enough excuse. Levi rolled his eyes and crossed one leg over the other. 

"I don't give a shit. Don't do that again." He noticed that the fond look Erwin had in his eyes before hadn't gone away. Was he still putting on a show for that fucking waitress? It made Levi feel uncomfortable in an strangely good way when Erwin looked at him like that. 

"So. Hard copies of the final draft?" Erwin prompted, changing the subject without giving an answer. Levi gave him a long stare and decided to play along. He reached for his briefcase and took out the final draft of the project. 

Before Erwin had a chance to look at it, the waitress came back with their order. "Here you are!" Her sugary inflection grated on Levi's nerves once again. It didn't seem to affect Erwin whatsoever. 

"Thank you. It looks delicious." He gave her a nod and a smile. "We'll have the ice cream for dessert. Thank you." 

"No problem!" She smiled in return and retreated quickly this time instead of babbling like an idiot. 

Levi made a face at her as she left. "'No problem!'" He repeated in a mock tone of her honeyed voice. 

Erwin chuckled. "Do you really not like her? She seemed nice."

"She said nothing of importance. Just went on and on about her stupid gay brother. I don't give a shit. I just want Chinese food. Why are you smiling at me like that?" 

"Because you're funny." Erwin had this little smile on his lips that Levi just didn't understand. Funny when he was bitching? No one called Levi funny, especially while complaining. 

"Whatever." Was Erwin making fun of him? He didn't think the man would do something like that. Manipulate him, sure, but he didn't seem like the type to be cruel. "I just didn't care about her gay brother who I don't even know."

Erwin's smile dropped and a disapproving frown slid over his features. "Do you have something against gays?"

It was Levi's turn to bark out a single laugh. "Hah. No. I _am_ gay." It wasn't something he should probably talk about with a co-worker, but they were quickly becoming more than that. Normally, Levi kept his orientation to himself. Why would other people need to know who he liked to sleep with? But Levi had this gut feeling he could trust Erwin. 

Those big eyebrows loosened up and Erwin looked pleased again. "Ah. Good."

 _Good?_ What the fuck did that mean? Levi hid his confusion and decided not to even touch that question. Erwin seemed straight as a rail. He was practically flirting with the waitress, even though he was supposed to be at an anniversary dinner with his gay lover. 

"Just look at the thing I made." Levi gestured to the draft with his hand and watched as Erwin picked it up again. He skipped the chopsticks in favor of a fork and observed as Erwin evaluated his work. 

"Superb. I'll need a digital copy as well, but this is stunning to hold." He held the paper a little further away, as if he could see the two dimensional drawing from another angle. Perhaps he could envision it in his minds eye, viewing the building at all sides. "Perhaps I'll frame this. We could hang it in the lobby of the building."

"You just say that to all the architects you work with." Levi gave Erwin a tight smile, joking with him of course. 

"No actually." The answer was surprising. "I haven't met many I was fond of. Until you, that is." Levi narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Erwin. Was _that_ something he said to other architects to get them to work? Why did Levi go above and beyond for this guy? Was he really worth impressing with all of his hard work? 

"Really. Okay." Levi drawled and took a bite of chow mein. 

Erwin sighed and set down the paper and picked up a pair of chopsticks. "Still don't trust me?" Levi remained silent as Erwin stared him down. "Obviously, you could see that many of my previous projects lacked a certain...pizazz." His eyes flicked to the copy of the final design. "I think I'm finding that pizazz here."

That made sense. But Levi still scoffed and took a long sip of his tea. "Don't call my talent 'pizazz'. That's irritating." Levi knew his work was great when he put effort into it. Maybe Erwin could help him hone and focus instead of slacking off and giving half assed work. 

"I'll find a better word for you, invigorating. Unique. The exact opposite of my projects." Erwin seemed to have difficulty finding words, which Levi was honestly quite stunned by. The man always seemed to be able to find the right way to say things. "It might be better if I showed you." 

"I've already looked up your projects."

"There's a building I worked on close by. It's about a five minute walk. Would you mind going with me after dinner?" 

"What one is it?" 

"The Avery Center. It was a fairly recent project." Erwin's plate was half done already and Levi had already finished his. 

"Ah. I haven't heard of that one. It wasn't on the Wikipedia page." Levi took a sip of tea to hide his smirk. 

"You're not going to let that go are you?" 

"Not a chance."

The waitress showed up again with two bowls of ice cream, a box for Erwin, and the check. "Happy anniversary." She gave them one final smile before leaving. 

Levi pushed his bowl toward Erwin. "I'm not too big on sweets." Unless it was drinkable. Sugary beverages were a weakness. 

"Really?" Erwin took the offered bowl and added it to his own. A wicked smirk crossed his lips and he held out his spoon with a large scoop of ice cream on top. "You don't want a bite?"

"I'm going to kick your ass once we're out of here."

"You've bruised my shin. Wasn't that enough?" 

"Apparently not. You're not doing this again, by the way. I swear to god next time I'm going to get up and leave if you say it's our anniversary."

"Oh don't say that. Look, I have two bowls of free ice cream now." Erwin opened the checkbook. Shit. Did they put it on one ticket? Levi reached for it but Erwin held it out of his range. "Since I forced you to attend our anniversary dinner, I'll treat this time."

Levi watched as Erwin placed a couple bills in the checkbook and set it on the table. "Fine. Only if you've learned your lesson. I'll get lobster next time if you try embarrassing me again."

"Deal." Erwin was completely fine with that. Did that mean he wasn't going to embarrass Levi again, or that he'd embarrass him anyway and just pay the price later? 

Without thinking about it, Levi took Erwin's leftover chow mein and scraped it into the to-go box for him. 

"You don't have to do that for me." Levi looked up to find Erwin staring at him, his expression unreadable. Did he offend him by doing this? How would Erwin hold the box steady while lifting his plate with one hand? It was just logic that he help. 

"Shut up and eat your ice cream. I got this." Levi set the plate aside and closed the box for him. Erwin made no further comment. "Are you done yet? Hurry up."

"That excited to see my building hm?" Erwin took the last spoonful and moved the bowl aside in order to have room for his briefcase. "It's not that special, I assure you." He carefully placed the final draft of the building in a folder and tucked it into the briefcase before clicking it shut. 

"I just don't want that waitress returning to tell us her life story." Levi stood with Erwin and watched him put on his coat. Damn. He forgot his at home. 

Most of what they talked about was nothing, but unlike with the waitress, Levi enjoyed hearing Erwin's voice. Talking about stupid things and not really saying anything with him was relaxing, and he remained interested in everything he had to say. He got the feeling he could say anything to him and it would be okay. Levi turned off his filter and Erwin thought he was funny. If he was willing to listen to Levi's quips and snide remarks and find them hilarious then he could talk all day. 

They stepped outside and Levi folded his arms across his chest. It had grown dark and chilly since they had been inside. 

"How far is it? Can we drive?" Levi asked. 

Erwin peered over at him, looking at his arms and then back to his face. "Are you cold?"

"A little."

Erwin shifted and handed Levi his to-go box and briefcase. "Here. Hang on." There was a shuffle and Erwin removed his coat. 

"You don't have to-"

"No I insist. I'm fine, I run hot." 

Erwin brought his coat over Levi's back, and with some one handed fumbling, he got it over Levi's shoulders. His body soaked up the residual heat left in the jacket and he instantly felt warmer. Levi stuck his arms through the sleeve holes and found that it was huge. They began walking, Erwin leading the way. "Your coat is big on me, and I feel like an idiot wearing it, but thanks." 

That comment earned another chuckle. "You look fine." 

Erwin was leading him toward the business end of the city. Levi glanced up and could see a star or two among the tall buildings. Other than the cold, it was a fine evening. 

A breeze blew through and he wrapped Erwin's coat tighter around him. Erwin was a couple steps in front of him. Levi turned his head to the side, pressing his nose into the collar of his coat and breathed in. _Oh god._ Erwin's coat smelled good. His coat smelled fresh and clean, but deeply masculine with traces of a woody cologne. It made his stomach clench. He shouldn't be sniffing his co-workers coat, but he couldn't help it. Levi wanted to know what Erwin smelled like. Wearing his coat was intimate, but he wanted to be closer. He wanted to have his body in contact with Erwin himself, his face pressed against his neck and inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with Erwin's scent- 

"This is it." Erwin's voice broke him out of his fantasy and he let go of the collar he was holding to his nose. Levi felt his face heat up, but he pretended not to notice as he looked to the building Erwin was gazing up at. 

"Oh." Erwin was right. The building was made out of sturdy concrete and functioned well as a specialty health center, but it lacked something. There wasn't any ornamentation, nor were there any lines for the eye to follow. The windows were average size, the door was standard, Erwin was right. The building was well made, but lacked soul. "When did you work on this? What did you do?"

"Three years ago. I didn't have a big part, but they used my design for most of the building, so I got some credit."

"Ah. I see what you mean when you said it lacked inspiration before." He stole a glance at Erwin and saw he wasn't affected by the negative comment about his work. The blond nodded slowly and looked up at the building. 

"This is why I need you. To be the strength where I have weakness." 

Levi looked to Erwin. He wanted to be that strength. Erwin was inspiring, and he knew if they worked as a team, they could be brilliant. "I can do that." Levi's reply was simple and straightforward, lacking the finesse Erwin had in words, but making up for it in the commitment in his inflection. 

Erwin ran a hand through his hair and Levi caught a glint of something. It shone for a split second and then disappeared when Erwin stuck his hand in his pocket. 

A wedding ring. There was a wedding ring on his finger. Erwin was married. Levi felt sick. _Erwin was married._ He was married and he sniffed his coat and practically went on a date with him. Erwin was straight and _married._

He wanted to ask to confirm he was married, but he also didn't want to hear the truth of the words. Erwin was just a co-worker, who he shouldn't get close to, who was married and off limits, who he shouldn't feel this comfortable and relaxed around. Levi opened his mouth to ask, trying to keep his tone casual, but the right words just wouldn't come out. 

"So-I uh..." Why couldn't he say it? If he pretended Erwin wasn't married, it didn't make it any less true and painful. He'd never be more than a friend to him. 

"What is it, Levi?" Erwin cocked his head and put his hand to his hip. Levi's eyes flicked to his hand and then back up. 

"Do you have kids or something?" He blurted out. It wasn't what he meant to say at all. Levi sighed in frustration and met Erwin's eyes for his answer. There was a brief sadness, but Erwin turned back to the building. 

"That's a strange question. No I don't." His tone let Levi know to not mention the topic again. 

Were they having trouble conceiving or something? He wouldn't bring it up again. "Let's go back." 

Levi led the way this time, keeping several paces ahead of Erwin. He just wanted to get out of here now, when minutes before he wanted to stay as long as possible. His shoulders were tense.

"Levi, wait. Are you okay?" Of course Erwin noticed something was up, but Levi wasn't going to admit he was checking out a married man. 

"I'm fine. I'm just cold." With his speedwalking, he could already see the parking lot from where they were. 

"Wait you still have my take-out box!" Levi was about fifteen feet ahead of him and stopped completely. 

"Here. Just take it." He shoved the box into Erwin's ringed hand and whirled around again, making a beeline to his car. 

"Same time next week?" Erwin called after him. 

"Yeah whatever." He had to have meetings with him, didn't he? Levi unlocked his car with a thumb to his remote and slammed the door when he got inside. 

His headlights caught Erwin as he pulled out of the parking lot. Erwin looked confused, but his eyebrows were drawn in and his mouth was drawn in a thin line as he watched Levi leave. For a split second he felt bad for taking off like this, but he was too angry to stick around. 

He should have known better. A handsome guy who had the same interests and sense of humor. There was no way he was gay and single. Levi barked out a bitter laugh as he hit the highway to get home. _He_ wasn't even single. Here he was, pissed and pining over some married man when he was dating a teenager. 

Maybe he should text Erwin and let him know it wasn't his fault. He reached to his pocket for his phone and cursed. He was still wearing Erwin's coat. Erwin's big dumb coat. It still smelled absolutely divine, and Levi felt absolutely guilty for smelling it again. 

He shouldn't be this into someone after two weeks of knowing them. 

The drive home seemed longer than it should have been, and as soon as he got inside he shrugged off the coat and set it in the far corner of the living room as he made his way to the bedroom. Levi took off his tie and fell back into the bed, scrubbing his hands over his face. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached to read the text. 

_I apologize if I offended you somehow. -ES_

Levi shut the screen off. He didn't even want to reply. He didn't have the energy to right now. It wasn't Erwin's fault. It was his own for being so stupidly hopeful. 

What the hell was he doing?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! I love hearing what everyone has to say. Again, thank you Chhharl for being a great beta with really valuable input.

He was at Eren's house again. This used to be his default location after work. The bottle of vodka was still on the coffee table and had magically emptied itself, since when he asked, Eren said he hadn't drank any. Levi glanced around to analyze the state of the apartment. The place had gotten messier. The sink was filled with dishes. There was an old McDonald's bag with the cheese crusted wrappers piled on the table. A laundry hamper in the hallway spilled onto the floor. Was it Eren's things or Jean's? A mixture? Was it clean or dirty laundry? Gross. It made him feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to clean for Eren. Levi turned away from the mess and back to the television screen. 

"So Eren." Levi tried to get his attention away from the video game he was so engrossed in. The brunette took a few seconds to get one more hit into the boss before pausing the game. 

"Yeah?" He turned to Levi, looking up at him from the floor, controller still in hand. "Whats up?"

Levi cleared his throat and paused, trying to find the right words to say. They held a lot more weight than his casual tone implied. "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" 

That question earned a laugh in reply. "Hell if I know. I'd be twenty eight then, so somewhere cool probably." Eren was about to turn back to his game when Levi stopped him. 

"How about five years?" Maybe that would be easier for Eren to think about. It seemed to be the case, because this time Eren didn't completely dismiss his question. 

"I don't know... I kinda wanna go back to school."

"Really?" Levi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Now things were looking hopeful. Eren actually had goals. Eren had something to work on. 

"Yeah. I'm not sure what I should go for, but I wanna do the whole college thing." There was some determination in Eren's voice, but it sounded like he still didn't have a clear path set. At least he had come to some sort of conclusion on his future. 

"Well that's a good start." Levi encouraged. He leaned back into the couch, feeling more at ease. Maybe inspiration would come to Eren in time. 

"I was kind of thinking about architecture, like you."

Levi audibly sighed and he sent him a sour look. Was he just talking out of his ass now? Never before had he mentioned architecture, and he had only mild interest when Levi talked about his projects. Where the hell had this sudden career interest come from? Was he just saying shit to make him happy?

Eren's hopeful glance had long since dropped and Levi folded his arms in front of his chest. " _Really? Architecture?_ " Levi asked, wanting an explanation. 

"Yeah. I dunno." Eren shrugged and turned back to the television. Levi felt bad for squashing his idea, but he knew that's not where Eren's passion was. 

A silence stretched between them before Levi spoke. "You need to follow your own dreams, not someone else's." Eren was trying to emulate Levi. He admired Levi and wanted to be like him, but he couldn't do that forever. It wasn't him. "Don't just go along with something because you think I would like it. Do it because you want to." 

Eren's eyebrows were drawn down in thought, and he nodded slowly. "Alright." 

He still looked a little lost, and Levi's hand came down to pat his shoulder reassuringly. "You'll figure it out." 

Eren moved from his spot on the floor to sit next to Levi. "You always know just what to say." The look in his green eyes was fond, but Levi wasn't feeling their warmth. He felt like laughing. He never knew what to say. He was terrible with words. He only got it right when he was speaking to someone who looked up to him so much. 

"Not really, but thank you anyway." 

"If I didn't do architecture, maybe I'll be a pro wrestler instead." Eren spoke up, expression serious. Levi waited a moment for Eren to laugh or smile or something to show he was kidding, but it didn't happen. Was he really fucking serious?

Levi kept his expression neutral, but didn't give an answer. Pro wrestling as a career choice didn't deserve an answer. It was too ridiculous. Eren had to be joking. 

Eren looked focused on the tv, but Levi could tell from his slight frown that he was upset and covering it up. Eren wasn't the type to hide feelings, but he seemed to do so a lot around Levi. He hated to see that look on Eren's face, but he couldn't do anything about the situation. How could he be supportive over pro wrestling?

Eren reached for his game controller once more and kept quiet. The silence was uncomfortable. 

Levi took out his phone as a distraction and idly surfed the web, ending up on Facebook. There was still a notification for a friend request from Erwin that he hadn't replied to yet. His profile picture changed. It was now just a picture of Erwin, with a tiny smile, as if he were trying to look less serious and stone faced. The background seemed to be of a home office, and the camera was probably a webcam or mobile phone, since the quality wasn't that great. It must be a more recent picture, since he could see where his arm tapered off into nothing. 

The picture from before was beautiful. Erwin looked handsome with the sea as a backdrop, the wind in his hair, and a smile on his face. This new picture wasn't as good, and Erwin didn't seem as happy. People changed their profile pics all the time. Levi's thumb hovered over the "accept friend" button, but still didn't confirm his request. Were they even friends after he was such a dick that night? He hadn't heard from Erwin since then, and it had been almost a week. 

He clicked away to his text messages and tapped Erwin's name. He scrolled up to reread some of the texts he received from Erwin. 

_Are you calling me old? :( -ES_

_Me too. Goodnight Levi. -ES_

_I apologize if I offended you somehow. -ES_

Shit. They were on such friendly terms and then it went to hell just because he was jealous of Erwin's happy functioning love life. He felt like an ass. Even if he had no chance with Erwin, he still had the urge to be close to him. Levi had few friends, and Erwin was someone who he could really get along with. He respected him, and received respect in return. Erwin didn't put up with his bullshit either, and although that was frustrating, it was also refreshing in a way. Levi could intimidate anyone but Erwin. It was a challenge.

But how could he apologize? "I'm sorry" seemed too stupid, but Erwin would probably forgive him if he said that. Even if he was subtly kind of a dick, he seemed like a nice person deep down. Even when he was getting ice cream from the waitress, he was sweet to her and listened to her rambling story when Levi was ready to tell her to fuck off. Erwin had patience for people that Levi lacked. 

_Why are you so nice to people? -LA_

Levi didn't know what he was doing. Why would Erwin reply to him after he ditched him? It wasn't even an apology. Damn. He messed up another friendship. When had he gotten this self loathing? Probably when he figured out Eren wasn't turning out what he hoped for. 

Erwin's response was surprisingly fast.

_I'm not that nice to people. -ES_

That was a load of crap. It was relieving to hear back from him so soon. Levi had been expecting the silent treatment. A fluttery feeling rose in the pit of his stomach as he reread the reply.

_Bullshit. You were nice to the waitress, even after she gave us free dessert. -LA_

_I guess I genuinely like humanity as a whole, as well as free dessert. -ES_

_You must be a saint. -LA_

_I wouldn't say I'm that angelic. Anyway, it's good to hear from you. -ES_

Did Erwin miss him? Levi didn't think Erwin was _that_ fond of him, at least not in the way he hoped for. Perhaps he was worried that he would flake out on their upcoming meeting or something. Another text from Erwin came trough. 

_By the way, are you alright? -ES_

The question caught Levi off guard. Erwin was concerned about him? Levi was the one who was used to worrying about someone else, not the opposite. A little bit of color crept up his neck, even if the man wasn't there to see it. He glanced to the side to check on Eren, but he was engrossed in his video game to notice Levi's reaction. 

_I'm okay. Why do you ask? - LA_

_Just okay? And I ask because you left rather abruptly the other night. -ES_

Ah. Erwin was asking about how he basically sprinted from him at their last meeting. For a moment Levi thought it was obvious that he was having trouble lately. 

_I had the shits. Sorry. -LA_

_Thanks for sharing. Is that all? -ES_

_You asked. -LA_

How did Erwin seem to understand him so well? When he made a bullshit excuse, Erwin called him out immediately. Maybe his last reply shouldn't have been so short. He typed out a second response. 

_I've been having some troubles lately. -LA_

It was strange how open he was with Erwin. He was a private person, but something about Erwin made him want to talk about things he wouldn't normally talk about. As he waited for a reply, he went back to Facebook to glimpse at Erwin's profile picture again. That little smile didn't quite reach his eyes. 

_I'm listening if you don't mind sharing. -ES_

_I'm having personal problems. -LA_

Levi let out a slow breath. It was a relief to actually get it out. Everything had been bottled up. There wasn't anyone he could go to talk to about this sort of thing. Sure, Hanji would listen, but Levi didn't feel comfortable discussing his love life with her. She would tease him too much. Erwin seemed level headed enough to confide in. It was also a relief to be communicating with him again. 

Levi felt more relaxed already, but with it came nervousness. Talking to Erwin made him feel strangely but pleasantly jittery. This was he butterfly feeling people get when they have stupid crushes on stupid people they work with who are stupidly romantically unavailable. Levi stomped on each and every fluttery feeling inside him.

Even so, he still needed to figure out Eren first. Maybe he could figure out how to let go of Eren tonight. Even if Erwin was unavailable, he still didn't want to date the teenager. It wasn't right. 

_Bowel problems, or? -ES_

Levi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling at the response. He did say he had the shits, but he thought that Erwin didn't believe him. The humor died as Levi typed his reply. 

_Relationship problems. I want to end things with my current partner. -LA_

_Ah, that's never easy. Although I will admit I'm glad I don't have to listen as you talk about your intestinal issues. -ES_

_It won't be. He's a great guy. He's just a little too young. I'll tell you about my intestinal issues in person over dinner. -LA_

_I wouldn't want it any other way. How young? -ES_

_18 -LA_

_Scandalous! I didn't realize you liked them that young. -ES_

_I know it's a little odd, and he's not my normal type. I'll figure something out. He's just not what I'm looking for. -LA_

_What's your normal type? -ES_

Levi took a moment to rub his hand over his face. Tall, blond, handsome, witty, one armed. _Married._ His mind screamed in the background as a reminder. 

_I like men my age or older. 80 years old or so ideally. You'd be a perfect candidate. -LA_

_Ha ha. Funny. How many jokes can you make about my age in one sitting? -ES_

_Plenty. I have plenty tucked away for later use, so don't test me. -LA_

_:( they hurt my fragile feelings, Levi. You would insult an old man? How heartless. -ES_

_Again with the emoticons. And don't try and turn this around on me. I do feel a little heartless, joking with you before I break this kids heart. -LA_

_Kid indeed. How did you two meet anyway? -ES_

_I used to baby sit him. Just kidding. I'm sure the disgusted look you probably made was hilarious. I met him at a bar. He snuck in. -LA_

_The face I made was indeed disgusted. You'll have to imagine it. -ES_

_I am. I'll keep you updated on what happens. -LA_

_Good luck to you. Let me know if you need anything. -ES_

_I will. I'm not sure what I would need though. -LA_

It was nice to have someone who he could lean on. This was definitely crossing the line between co-worker friendliness, but Levi found himself not caring. He doubted if Erwin cared either. 

_Perhaps a beer? Initially I would bring you some break-up ice cream, but I've learned your preference. -ES_

Erwin was trying to remain lighthearted for Levi's sake. How nice. 

_Beer would be nice. I'll let you know. -LA_

Levi stretched his arms out and arched his back, feeling something pop painfully. "Ohhhh shit."

"That sounded like it hurt." Eren commented, a smile playing on his lips as he glanced back over his shoulder. 

"Yeah it did. I'm getting old." Levi frowned and groaned, rubbing at the spot on his back. "I'm already old. I'm so damn old. I'm an old man."

Eren scoffed. "You're not that old. You're only thirty five. There's plenty of life left."

_"I'm twenty seven."_ Levi hissed, his glare turning sharp. Did he look that old or was Eren just stupid and forgot his age?

"Even better. Now let's see if you can still get it up, old man." Eren climbed from the floor to the couch and leaned in for a kiss. 

Eren pressed his lips against Levi's and it brought a feeling of dread to rest in the the pit of his stomach. He cared about Eren, but this wasn't what he wanted. Eren began to kiss him, searching for a reply, and Levi needed to decide if he was going to respond or not. It would break Eren if he left right now. Feeling guilty, he tentatively pressed back. Levi didn't feel comfortable, but he didn't want to deny Eren anything. He wanted to be there when he needed him, but the feeling wasn't romantic.

He shouldn't be kissing Eren. Not when he didn't want to. Not when he wanted to be kissing someone else. The kiss turned into several smaller pecks. Eren was being so delicate with him, as if he could sense something was off, but couldn't decide on what. Levi's hands were still on the couch cushion, unwilling to reach up and physically touch him. He let his eyes slide shut. Maybe that could help him deal with Eren's body pressed against his own. 

A sick thought twisted into his mind, and once it was there he couldn't get it out. _What would Erwin's lips feel like?_ Thinking about someone else while kissing another made Levi feel terrible, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Would there be stubble, or would he be clean shaven? He seemed like the type to shave daily. Levi found himself responding more to Eren's kiss, sucking his lower lip into his mouth and biting, wishing it were plumper. 

A pair of hands wrapped around Levi's wrists and pulled his arms upward above his head. Their grip was light, unsure. It brought him back to reality. Erwin's hold would be strong, bold, confident, experienced. There was no way Levi's thoughts could change the Eren's touch to someone else's. _This was Eren_. His thoughts about the blond vanished when Levi opened his eyes to find green eyes staring down at him with an eyebrow raised in question. 

"What's up?" The brunette asked, his voice a murmur. Levi could feel his half hard erection flagging and so could Eren. His raised eyebrows dipped down in a frown. "I thought you liked this stuff. You mentioned it a long time ago... Or do you wanna be the one doing it?" 

Ah shit. What could he say? I was thinking of someone else and you're not them? Eren was playing at dominance, not actually taking control. Sure, Levi very much enjoyed leading and could take the reigns and show him the ropes. He liked to be the dominant one often, but every once in awhile it was fun to switch. Eren could improve over time, but he didn't want to put the effort in. It would be a waste of time. Levi really didn't want a sexual relationship with him. He didn't want a relationship at all. 

Why did he let it get this far? "Sorry, I'm just not in the mood for that today I guess." Levi broke eye contact. Was he that desperate for Erwin's touch that he would use someone else? Erwin was fucking straight, and _fucking married_ for gods sake. 

Levi felt pathetic. 

Eren didn't deserve this. It was cruel. He had been through enough in his life and didn't need someone else shitting on him. 

His wrists were let go. "Ah. I see. That's cool." Eren tried to mask his hurt feelings with a casual shrug and climbed off. He leaned away, giving Levi space between their torsos. Eren's hands were on his shoulders and and his thumbs idly rubbed inward along his neck. At a base level it felt pleasant, but again, it was Eren's affection. "I don't mind just kissing or something. I just like being close to you." Eren wanted intimacy, and Levi felt the urge to close up around himself. Eren's words made him feel sick with guilt. 

Levi averted his eyes and Eren mistook his avoidance as coyness. He felt those hands move upward, to cup his cheeks tenderly. Levi heard Eren take a deep breath. 

"I love you, Levi."

Levi kept his eyes on the wall, as if that were speaking and not Eren. Perhaps if he didn't make eye contact, Eren couldn't see the truth. It just wasn't there. That spark had gone a long time ago, and there was nothing that held them together. 

"Did you hear me? I'm in love with you." Eren's voice cracked after the first question. Even if Levi didn't look at him directly, it was obvious what Levi's answer was. 

He was perfectly still under him, waiting for Eren to get up. Eren did the opposite and pressed his lips against Levi's. When there was no response, he grew frantic and desperate as one kiss turned into many. Despair was tangible and Eren's lips shook with sadness against his. 

Why was he letting Eren do this? Somewhere deep down, he still held affection for him, but that wasn't enough to keep a relationship. 

"Levi." Eren's hand on his shoulder fiercely shook him back to reality. "Levi fucking look at me!" When he refused, Eren took his jaw in his hand and forced his face forward. Levi kept his eyes downcast. 

"Can't even look me in the eye huh?" Eren's expression turned dark, and he could hear a sneer in his voice. "For being such a grown up, you're acting fucking childish."

Levi didn't respond. 

"I know you feel something for me. You wouldn't have stuck around so long if you didn't."

Eren was partially right, but it wasn't the feeling Eren was searching for. Levi gave a single shake of his head. 

Eren gave a bitter laugh and pulled away from him. He stood up and Levi rose as well, keeping some distance between them. The situation was awkward, but not unexpected. "So. This is it? You just gonna walk out on me? You're gonna leave me, just like my dad-"

Levi's hand shot out and grabbed Eren by the front of his shirt and shoved him back, causing him to stumble to catch himself from falling. _"I am not your fucking father."_ Levi spat. 

There was silence from Eren's end. There was nothing for him say. Maybe Eren realized how their relationship turned out. 

"Figure your shit out." Levi strode to the door, ripping it open. "Don't call me." He left Eren's apartment, the door slam echoing in the hallway behind him.

For a fraction of a second he hesitated. Would Eren be alright? The sound of another door inside and Jean's voice changed his mind about going back. Eren's room mate could pick up the pieces. He'd probably be happy to. 

Levi took the elevator, texting as he rode down. 

_Okay. I could use that beer now. -LA_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a happy holidays! Also happy Eruri week!
> 
> The rating will be going up when I post this chapter. Thanks again Chhharl for being a great beta reader!

Erwin promised a single beer, but Levi felt like he needed twenty. He was already on his fourth. The glass was half gone when Erwin spoke up. 

"Easy there. Slow down." Erwin's voice was was warm and gentle as he tried to be there for Levi, like a good friend would be. Little did Erwin know that Levi was a terrible person. That was probably the worst breakup anyone in the world has ever had. Levi knew he wasn't tactful, but he didn't think he was that bad- ugh. He'd think about this later. 

Levi glanced around the sports bar. It was the only bar near his apartment, and while he wasn't one for sports, this bar had a few good brands of beer he liked. The place was half full of guys who were watching football on a big screen. Not bad for a weeknight. It was interesting to see Erwin in "casual" attire. He wore a white button down and khaki slacks, no tie. Was this as casual as this guy could get? It's not like Levi could request for him to wear a tight fitting shirt and jeans. 

He could tell by Erwin's lingering gaze that he was curious about what went down. Levi rolled his eyes and gestured with his glass. "I'll tell you what happened after this one is done." 

Erwin's tentative smile when he first waved Levi down in the bar meant that he wasn't used to comforting people who just experienced a beak up. Levi intended to take advantage and milk him for what he was worth in beer. He lifted his glass again and polished off what he had, glancing to Erwin's half finished one. "Come on." He set the empty glass down with a clunk. "You can't let me drink alone. That would just be sad."

"Someone has to be the responsible one here..." Erwin shrugged, but then sighed and gave into Levi's influence. He took a longer sip of his beer, causing Levi to laugh. "What? I'm drinking it." His sour face didn't indicate any enjoyment. 

"Jesus, aren't you German or something? Drink up. It's not a goddamn fancy wine or a glass of scotch." Was Erwin that well bred that he didn't know how to drink beer? It was kind of cute how he scrunched up his nose as he drank. Levi stared as Erwin lifted the glass higher. 

"Come on Erwin, chug chug chug." This was taking Levi back to his college days, drinking heavily after a breakup on a weekday. He hadn't done this sort of thing in years. Erwin's chin tilted up as he finished off the glass and Levi watched his throat with interest. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Levi licked his lips. 

Perhaps the encounter from earlier left him a little wound up, and Erwin was easy on the eyes. 

"I don't like beer." Erwin confessed, sounding out of breath as he set his now empty glass down. 

"And I don't like wine, but you forced that on me the other day."

"Different."

"How so?"

"Just is." Levi raised his hand to flag down the bartender for another beer. They had chosen a spot at the far end of the bar for a little privacy. The glass was quickly delivered and Levi reached for it. 

"Do you drink often?" Erwin's tone was innocent, but it's implication wasn't. 

Levi let go of the glass and gave Erwin cool look. "You're the one who invited me for a beer." He prodded the mans chest with an accusatory finger. How dare he ask him that. 

"I was just asking. It's just a question." Erwin held his hand up in defense and Levi scoffed and turned back to the bar. A silence rose between them and Levi let it sit there, punishing Erwin for his stupid inquiry.

"I have been drinking more than I normally do lately. But I don't have a problem." Levi held his anger in check to answer the question and Erwin nodded in understanding. 

"Because of your relationship?" He ventured. 

"Yeah for the most part. It won't affect my work so don't worry." Levi muttered, eyeing his beer again. 

He was met with a quiet laugh. "Levi, you should know by now I consider you more than a co-worker." Erwin raised a large hand to clasp his shoulder and Levi could feel himself grow warmer. "Although I know the friendship isn't returned, since you still haven't added me on Facebook." 

"And I never will." Levi scoffed. Erwin's hand slid off his shoulder slowly. 

"I promise I won't send you farmville requests." 

"Oh my god. Stop talking. I'm not adding you on Facebook. It's just not happening."

"What a disappointment." 

"Yeah. I've had a couple of those lately." The playful feeling of the conversation took a left turn. Erwin stayed silent to let him continue and Levi took a moment before he began to speak. "I just feel like an idiot." 

"That happens when a person loses a partner." Erwin was trying to help and it was working minimally. 

"I didn't even tell him why. I just-" Levi stopped mid sentence to grimace, not wanting to admit the next part. It was embarrassing to explain how bad he was at communicating. "He said he loved me and I just didn't reply."

"Oh boy." Erwin said solemnly. 

_Oh boy?_ His lips twisted as he tried to hold it in, but it all came loose when Levi caught Erwin's eye and found him with a similar expression. Levi's shoulders shook as he chuckled, most of the ugly noises sounding raspy. Erwin was laughing along with him, watching him as he drunkenly lost his composure. Levi covered his face with his hand, trying to hide his laughing. Erwin's hearty laughter made his chest clench and his own smile even wider. 

"I can't believe you just didn't reply!" Erwin shook his head in disbelief. 

"I'm a piece of shit, what can I say?" Levi replied, his head sinking down as he tried to hide how humorous he found all of this. 

"I don't know, something other than nothing. I didn't know you were that socially terrible!" 

"He's just as bad to be honest. He compared me to his dad-"

"Yikes."

"-and then I walked out." The laughing died down. Levi rested his head on his arm and eyed his beer once more. 

Erwin hummed in thought. "Well, he does deserve an explanation."

"Yeah..." That was something Levi wasn't looking forward to. Couldn't he just avoid Eren for the rest of his life?

"So no chance you'll get back together with him?" Erwin asked, the question seeming offhand as he looked down into his empty beer glass. 

"No." The answer was without hesitation and didn't require any thought. Even if he felt bad now, he wasn't going to get back together with him. "There are other things wrong than just his age." 

"Like what?" Erwin was now watching him closely. Again, the concentrated look set him on edge, but to have all of his focus felt exhilarating at the same time. 

"He's messy. I feel like I'm always picking up after him. He has no direction in his life. Said he wanted to be a fucking pro-wrestler when he grew up. What do I even say to that?" Levi ran a hand through his hair, feeling stressed out just thinking about it. "Sex is okay, but-" he shrugged. "I just don't want to do it anymore. The emotional connection isn't there for me anymore."

"Understandable." Erwin nodded. "Those are valid issues. Have you brought any of these up with him before?" 

The corner of Levi's mouth tugged to the side. "No. It's hard to talk to him about serious stuff." It was strange how easy it was to talk to Erwin about his relationship problems instead of Eren. Levi knew he was shit with feelings and emotions, but he was able to pour his thoughts out without worry if he was talking to Erwin. The man simplified his complicated life. 

"You should tell him. Call him maybe?" Erwin's advice was solid. 

"Yeah yeah. I just don't know what to say." Levi let out a long sigh and glared down at the wood of the bar table. "Eren Jaeger deserves the world. He's been through a lot of stupid bullshit and I don't need to add to it." 

Levi felt Erwin's hand on his shoulder again. "Tell him just that. Maybe give him a reason or two, but don't hurt his feelings. Then apologize for being so abrupt with the ending." Erwin's hand squeezed gently and Levi was sorely tempted to reach up to keep it there, but he knew better. Erwin was just being a good friend, nothing more. 

"You're right. I just don't wanna do it." Levi reached into his pocket to grab his phone and Erwin moved his hand. He saw a bunch of new unread messages. "Shit. He's texted me ten times." That was bad news. He opened them one by one. 

_You're not coming back are you? -EJ_

_You didn't even tell me why you're such a fucking asshole! - EJ_

_Do you think I'm stupid and don't know why? Sorry I'm not a perfect grown up with a perfect job and a perfect life! Fuck you! -EJ_

Levi stopped reading after the third text. His stomach hurt. "Fuck fuck fuck. I'm getting chewed out. He already sort of knows why I'm leaving him." Eren wasn't stupid. He was an idiot kid, but not stupid. 

"I don't blame him for being mad..." Erwin commented and he received a glare. 

"Yeah whatever." It pissed him off to hear that, but it wasn't an unreasonable thing to say. At least Erwin would let him know the truth even when he was wrong. Levi sighed he saw Erwin's shoulders tense. "I snapped. I'm just stressed right now."

Erwin nodded and gave Levi a little smile, letting him know that no offense was taken. "Well, are you going to call him?"

"I'll call tomorrow. Right now I want to forget about him. I need a distraction." Erwin was the perfect person to distract himself with. His voice made him tune out everything around him, and his smile was dazzling. 

As if he could read his mind, Erwin replied. "I can be that distraction." That dazzling smile returned full force as the blond draped his arm across the back of Levi's chair and leaned in. Levi felt his heart rate skyrocket as Erwin moved in close, those ocean blue eyes growing clearer. Levi felt like cursing as the blond shifted to the side and murmured in his ear. "Did you hear about that building that melts cars?"

"No." Levi could smell cologne on him. It smelled like his coat. Shit, he still needed to return that. 

"It's in London. It's metallic and curved, and concentrated enough sunlight to melt a car parked alongside the road." Erwin's voice was low and smooth in his ear. Levi let his eyes close. He fantasized about that voice crooning to him in the middle of the night as he crawled into the blond's lap and wrapped his legs around his hips-

"Why did you feel the need to whisper this in my ear?" Levi asked, his tone suspicious and irritated to cover up his sexual imaginings. 

"I want to construct a building like that. Let's make one together." There was an evil smirk in Erwin's voice that Levi found very appealing. 

"Are you asking me to be your evil villain architect sidekick?" Levi moved a hand between them and shoved Erwin away. "What the hell?"

Erwin chuckled. Levi couldn't get enough of that sound. "You're the first and only person I'd ask. I thought you would be on the same page." 

"Hey I didn't say no. I just asked you for confirmation. So that's a yes I can be your evil sidekick. Say it out loud." Levi leaned back in his chair, surveying Erwin who had a strange little smile on his lips. "Ask me."

"Will you, Levi Ackerman, be my evil villain architect sidekick?" 

"Yeah sure." There was a pause as Levi tried to figure out what to say next. He shrugged. "Do we need a secret handshake or something?" 

That earned another laugh from Erwin. Levi wondered if he was actually that funny or if Erwin had a bottle of wine tucked away somewhere that was making his face rosy. "I only have one hand." He held it up, wiggling his fingers for effect. "Figure something out and I'll do it." 

"All you need is one hand. Come on, stick it out." Levi reached into his pocket. 

Erwin stuck out his hand and Levi took it and flipped it palm side up. He squirted some hand sanitizer from his to-go bottle into the center and began to rub it in for him. How would he be able to spread it around one handedly? Erwin's hand was bigger than his own with a wide palm and long fingers. It looked strong. Perhaps if he had both arms he could have made a fine craftsman of some kind. He made sure to get between his fingers and down on his wrist as well. Erwin scoffed with amusement and Levi looked up. "You're so... Odd."

"So?" Levi used some of the sanitizer for himself too, scrubbing his hands as he spoke. "I don't know what you use your hand for. If we're going to make a handshake, I want to shake a clean hand. You only have one hand to wipe with."

"Odd isn't bad, and I wash it regularly." Erwin held his hand out again and Levi took it. He hadn't done something this arbitrary and silly in a long time. 

"Okay. Shake shake. Pull back and fist bump. Do you think you can handle that?" 

"This might be too complicated for me." 

"Just shut up and do it." 

Levi started the shake and narrated as they completed the actions. "Shake shake pull back and fist bump." 

Erwin chuckled. "We're really cool now." 

"I am. Not sure if you are, but I doubt it." Levi would do anything to hear Erwin's laugh. "Once we get good at it, we'll add some more gestures and some kicks and backflips." Finally, he found someone who appreciated his sarcastic sense of humor. 

"I'm too old for that, Levi." Erwin was smiling at him again. 

"Is it past your bedtime? What time is it anyway?" Levi checked his phone and sighed. It was past eleven. He still needed to get home and go to bed. "It's eleven. Shit. We have work tomorrow. I should probably head home."

"You're right." Erwin stood from the bar. "Did I tell you they're providing me with a workspace at the office?"

"Oh?" Levi glanced up at him. "That's nice." He pulled on his coat. "You gonna bother me at work now too huh?"

"I don't think I bother you one bit." Erwin's confident smile made Levi huff out a short laugh. Did this guy not know he was flirting? He definitely looked like he knew how handsome he was with how he spoke. "Do you want me to drive you home or do you want to take a cab?"

Did he want Erwin to know where he lived? Kind of. He wanted Erwin to know where his bedroom was. Maybe he had a few too many drinks tonight and that's why he was so wound up. "You can drive me home." Levi replied, following as Erwin led him to his car. 

"You can plug your address into my gps." Erwin pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked his car with the click of a button. Levi stepped into Erwin's white civic, immediately noticing how clean and dust free it was. 

"I've always been interested in owning a hybrid car." Levi admitted as he typed his address into the built in gps. "Do you like it?"

Erwin started the car and began following the route. "I do. It saves a lot on gas." He sent a quick glance to Levi. "Are you interested in cars?"

"Not really. Mildly." 

"Me either. I like them only aesthetically."

Levi peered over to the wheel when Erwin turned on his signal to change lanes. "So you can drive one handedly. How does that work?"

"I had this installed. There is a shifter here on the left side by the turn signal." Erwin tapped it with his fingers. "I can't drive manual of course, but with an automatic it works just fine." Levi watched him use the signal and make a turn with one hand, letting the wheel slide through his palm. 

"That's interesting." Levi was curious about other adaptions Erwin utilized to live with one hand. It was one thing to be a left handed person, and it was another to only have that option. He took a closer look at his arm. Tonight he had the sleeve pinned to his shoulder. It seemed to cut off just above the elbow. From the first day he met him, Levi had been curious about what had happened. Was he born with it like this? Was it an accident? The liquid courage from earlier affected his filter. "What happened to your arm?" He asked boldly. 

Erwin gripped the steering wheel tighter as he pulled to the side of the street in front of Levi's apartment. "An accident." The short, grim answer cut Levi off from asking any more questions. That was a topic Erwin didn't seem to want to discuss. His expression was much more serious than it was at the bar. Levi didn't like the way he had changed so quickly with just a few words. Erwin's smile had been so welcoming, and now his expression was tight and uninviting, large eyebrows drawn in and mouth turned downward. 

"Ah." Levi wasn't sure what to say. He should get out of the car, but he needed to apologize for offending him. His eyes shifted away and out of the window toward the building door. "I should-"

As soon as that intimidating expression appeared, it left. "Sorry." Levi heard Erwin sigh and his head quickly turned to see the man rubbing his forehead. "Sensitive topic." 

"Good to know." Levi could deal with that. It wasn't the first time he had been insensitive and reprimanded for it. He felt like Erwin was showing a more vulnerable side of himself. It was a glimpse at the man underneath of the serious business-like mask and false smiles. He wondered what other topics were off limits. 

"I don't want you to feel the need to tiptoe around me." Erwin watched a car go by before looking back to Levi. "I like that you don't. I like how bold you are with me."

The serious tension before turned into a tension of a different kind as Erwin's gaze softened and lingered. Levi felt heat crawl up his neck as he watched Erwin's eyes drift down to his lips. Was Erwin thinking about kissing him? Levi wanted that to happen badly. Wanted Erwin to lean over the center console, grab his chin and pull him in against his lips. 

That boldness Erwin spoke of was nowhere to be seen. Those intense blue eyes wandered back up again and Levi saw a flicker of hesitation. It then registered that kissing Erwin would be a very bad idea for a variety of reasons. Levi's breakup was only hours ago. He was a co-worker. Even if he was flirty and possibly not completely straight, he was married. That was the biggest issue. 

Levi glanced to Erwin's hand. The golden ring shone. He must have polished it daily. Levi's stomach twisted. For being a symbol of love, he found himself hating that thing. When Levi met his eyes again, he saw Erwin watching him. Unlike his intense looks from before, now he looked faraway, as if thinking about something else completely. 

"I'll see you whenever you get that office I guess." Levi opened the door to the car. There wasn't a point in staying to see if Erwin was going to say anything more. 

"It'll be next week." Erwin replied, leaning over to see him a little better through the car door. "Goodnight." 

Why did half of their encounters end on a negative note? "Yeah. Goodnight." Levi grunted and shut the door, turning to head into his apartment. When he didn't hear Erwin's car zoom away, he looked over his shoulder to catch the man waving to him. Was he waiting to make sure he got inside? It was strangely sweet, but infuriating at the same time. What was he, twelve? Levi jammed the key in the lock and took the elevator to his apartment. 

When he closed the door, finally in his home, his phone buzzed again. Expecting another text from Eren, Levi hesitated to unlock the screen. He had yet to reply to any of Eren's texts. 

_Don't forget, you still have my coat. I'll be getting that work space on Friday, so bring it then. Don't forget to drink some water to avoid a hangover. Goodnight. -ES_

It was relieving to get a text from him, even if he was on weird terms with him. Even if there was an awkward moment in the car, Erwin helped him a lot tonight. His company was much better than being alone, and his insight was helpful. Levi was grateful he had someone to talk to. Hanji was great, but for some reason he found himself gravitating toward Erwin. He replied as he shrugged off his coat and toed off his shoes and walked to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. 

_Okay. See you then. -LA_

After drinking half a glass, Levi decided he needed sleep. The coat was hanging off his armchair in the corner of the living room. Levi felt a little floaty as he walked over to grab it. Four beers on an empty stomach would do that. 

He used a hand along the wall to guide him down his dark hallway to his bedroom. God he was tired. He just wanted to go to sleep. Levi undressed down to his undershirt and boxers and crawled into bed. 

He tried to quiet his mind, but he couldn't stop thinking about Erwin and the way he looked when he glanced down toward his lips. He could still faintly smell that woody cologne he was wearing earlier... Shit. Levi didn't notice he had dragged the coat to the bedroom and it was drapped across the sheets on top of him. 

He grabbed for the coat, intending to throw it off and to the floor, but instead found himself pulling it closer. The fabric was a dark navy wool. He ran his fingertips along the stitching to the collar. Is this where he spritzed the cologne? Is that why it lingered so long? He brought the collar closer and took a sniff. Just like before, it smelled clean and it made Levi's stomach drop. This scent was becoming mentally linked to the arousal portion of his brain. 

Erwin smelled just like this earlier when he leaned in close. That low voice replayed in his mind, but with a different script. 

_  
I need your mouth on my cock._

_I want to taste your come._

_Fuck me.  
_

Was Erwin even the type to talk dirty? God he hoped so. 

Levi inhaled deeply as his hand traveled south. Was he really going to do this? It was hard to feel guilty when he was still buzzed from earlier, and any warning thoughts vanished when he slipped his hand under his boxers and pressed against his cock. Jesus Christ he was already hard. 

He slipped into fantasy as he wrapped his fingers around himself and stroked. If Erwin had the balls to actually kiss him, Levi doubted he would have enough self control to resist. The next day he'd blame it on the booze or something, but to have those lips on his own would be bliss. He'd love to bite down on Erwin's lower lip and push him down to straddle him. He had a feeling that although Erwin presented a perfect exterior, he was probably a demon in bed. 

The coat was held in a tight grip pressed to Levi's face and all he could do was shakily breathe in. It was growing hot and awkward to keep moving his hand within his pants, so for a brief moment he let go of his erection to push away the sheets and pull off his boxers. Immediately, his hand returned to grip more firmly and up the pace. 

Would they be able to fuck in the backseat of his car? Not enough room. There might be room for other things though. Levi wanted Erwin's perfect teeth on his neck, and chest, and then further down. He'd put Erwin's mouth to work, tug back on that blond hair of his and force him to make eye contact, make him moan with his lips wrapped around his cock- 

Levi's hips bucked into his hand as he neared climax. Just a little more and he'd be finished. He inhaled against Erwin's coat again, wishing his face was pressed against the man's neck, or chest, groin, or any part of him really. 

A strange desire hit him full force. It was wrong, but he was so fucking close, and the option of not fulfilling the fantasy would ruin it. He brought the coat down to rub against the tip of his cock. The wool wasn't the most pleasurable feeling, but the thought that it was Erwin's and he was defiling it had his brain short circuiting. He hissed through his teeth as he looked down to see his precome smearing on the fabric. It was sick, but he felt desperate. 

With a heavy sigh and a twist of his wrist Levi reached his peak, making sure to hold the collar of the coat over the tip to catch all of his come. 

As his breathing evened out again, it sunk in how fucking messed up he was. He just jerked off thinking about Erwin. He just came on someone else's clothes. He rubbed his dick all over his _coat._ How in the hell would he be able to look him in the eye again? He had to work on a huge project with him, but how would he be able to interact after giving back his jizzed on coat? Was he that pathetic that he actually sniffed someone's clothes and jerked off to them right after breaking up with someone? If he couldn't have this married guy, he masturbated using his possessions? 

With a groan, Levi rose from bed and to the bathroom to clean up, taking the coat with him. Could this wash out? Maybe he could run it through the washing machine a couple times before giving it back. If that didn't work he could dry clean it. And if that didn't work he'd just burn it or something. 

Although he was tired and his muscles now ached, Levi tossed the soiled coat into the washer, pouring in extra detergent and setting the dial on heavy wash. Hopefully that should do it. 

The guilt still sat heavily, but the thought that Erwin's scent would be washed away lingered in his mind as he walked back to the bedroom. 

He'd have to face reality again in the morning. Eren needed an explanation. He needed to focus on the work project. He needed to face Erwin and give him back his coat. He needed to stop pining over this guy. 

He could hear the washing machine fill up in the other room and sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was terrible, but Levi liked having something of Erwin's in his possession. He didn't want to give back his coat. 

It made him feel less alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than usual, and I think it'll answer some questions that many of you have been asking. Thanks to Chhharl for being a great beta! Comments and critiques are welcome, or effusive praise, whatever you want. Input is always welcome.

Mornings were terrible. It was so hard to wake up when the sky was dark. When the sun did rise as Levi arrived at work, the light from the window was at just the right angle to hit him in the eye if he looked up from his desk. It was like a big "fuck you" from the dawn. It lasted from 8:45 to 9 am or so. All he wanted to do was curl up and drink tea, but computer chairs didn't allow for that kind of movement, and his tea cup was empty. He also had plenty of work to do, a full agenda of design for a Friday. 

Luckily he had Hanji there to keep him focused. 

"Who's coat is that?" Hanji posed the question while leaning over the cubicle wall to talk to Levi. He sighed in irritation. Why didn't she just go around to talk to him?

"Mine." Levi hadn't even looked up from his computer screen to properly address her. Sure she was a good friend, probably his only friend, but why was she so damn nosy all the time? Her curiosity was insatiable. He had draped Erwin's coat over the back of his desk chair to keep it from getting wrinkly, but it only kept him on edge. It felt incriminating. 

"It's pretty big." She commented, her head tilting to the side to rest on the divider. "Come on. Who's is it? Can I guess?" 

"No." It was 9 am. It was too early to deal with her. 

"Hmmmm." Her playful tone slowly turned more thoughtful. Her head vanished from the divider and suddenly she was in his cubicle. 

"I can start narrowing it down?" Levi decided to just let her talk. Maybe she would wear herself out soon. He didn't turn around when she leaned on the back of his chair, elbows resting against the coat itself. 

"It's not Eren's." 

Levi's shoulders tensed. "Shit." Hanji was too smart for her own good. That or- "Found out from Facebook, huh?" He changed their relationship status several days ago. She must have noticed. 

"Well, that and I got a text." She pulled out her phone and thumbed trough before showing him the screen. 

_Tell Levi he's an asshole! -EJ_

_Okay! -HZ_

Jesus Christ. Levi tore his eyes away from the screen and scrubbed a hand over his face. This was embarrassing. "I- he uh. He must have gotten your number somehow." How the hell did Eren get her number? Did the little bastard go through his phone? Did he get her number from Facebook? He needed to speak with him about that. It had been at least five days since they broke up and he still hadn't replied to any of his texts yet. 

"It's not a big deal." Hanji shrugged and leaned over the divider to her own side. How the hell could she reach that far? Those long arms were something else. She lifted a paper coffee cup and set it down on Levi's desk. "Here. It has your name written on it."

He rotated the Starbucks cup until he could see the word "Asshole" scrawled across the bottom in sharpie. Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes, but a hint of a smile teased across his lips. "I swear to god." 

"Sorry your romantic experiments with another human failed." She stated. 

"Can you be any more scientific?" He shot back, taking a tentative sip of from the cup. Earl grey. She knew just what he liked. She had great observational skills. 

"Perhaps." Hanji pushed up her glasses in a mock nerd effect, like she needed to do that to seem nerdy. Levi spun his chair to fully look at her, taking another long pull from the tea as he thought.

He was too hard on her. She was one of the only people who he really talked to, and half the time he was irritated with her for some reason or another. It was a surprise she put up with his shit. It was hard to open up to her at times, since she liked to tease, but he could still rely on her. 

"So yeah. I broke up with him." He looked down at his tea. It wasn't a usual occurrence for him to speak about his private life with Hanji, so this would take some getting used to. "I did it for a variety of reasons."

"Yeah, he was pretty young, wasn't he?" Hanji asked, an understanding smile easing over her features. 

"Yes. It was too much." That and he had a thing for someone else. Could he tell her he had a thing for Erwin? Absolutely not. They were co-workers and she would probably never shut up about it-

"Is that the only reason?" Already, Hanji was picking up on something. Levi's shifted uncomfortably and frowned at the wall of his cubicle. He could be vague. 

"There's someone else I've been watching, and it would be unfair to remain in a relationship if I'm interested in someone else." Even if they were unavailable. 

"Ohh, do I know them?" Hanji's voice was strangely neutral, but Levi knew she was trying to pry information from him with false security. 

Instead of answering, he swiveled in his chair to face his computer again. "Socialization time over." Back to work. He tried to make it as clear as possible that he didn't want to continue with this conversation, tea or no.

"So the coat belongs to Erwin Smith, huh?" 

Levi turned around to find her closely inspecting a crumpled, faded, folded business card. "Where did you get that?" He snapped, hand shooting out to rip the card from her fingers. It looked like it had been through the wash.

"Coat pocket." She answered, lips twisting into a smug smile. Damn it. He didn't check the pockets before washing it. Levi was still glaring at the torn business card when Hanji began with her questioning again. "So how did you get his coat?" The excited spark in her eyes already let Levi know she was formulating theories. 

"He let me borrow it after dinner-" he winced, that sounded bad. "A work meeting over dinner."

"Ohhhh. So you wore it to work?" 

"I'm giving it back today. He's supposed to be coming into the office." At least that's what Erwin told him this morning via text. He had mentioned that today was the day he was getting the workspace. 

The thought made Levi feel anxious. He would he seeing him daily. He had a thing for Erwin that he was trying to ignore, but now he was going to see his face every day. That stupidly handsome face that held sharp cheekbones and a pristinely white smile. 

As if on cue, the door to the stairs opened and the man himself entered the office. Levi edged up in his seat to be able to see over his cubicle. He immediately locked eyes with Levi and gave him a nod in greeting. Automatically, Levi nodded back. 

"So that's him huh? What's with that weird chin thing he did? Looks like he has a thing for you too."

"He inclined his chin at me. That doesn't mean he has a thing for me." But he did look for him immediately when he came up the stairs just to nod his head. That and the whole weird almost kiss they had awhile ago...

"Hanji, he's married. It's not happening."

"Is he? Huh." She craned her head and squinted her eyes to see him better. "I don't see a ring."

What?

Sure enough, when Levi's eyes snapped to Erwin's hand gripping his briefcase, he couldn't find a ring. His heart skipped a beat. 

And then came blinding rage. Levi's hands gripped the armrest to his chair until his knuckles turned white. His teeth clenched as he growled. "Fucking son of a bitch. That mother fucking asshole-" 

"Hey hey. What's that about?" Hanji tentatively patted his shoulder.

Levi quickly shrugged her hand off, his eyes boring into Erwin's back as he greeted their boss. "He was wearing a ring last couple times I saw him." 

"Oh. Shit. Well maybe he's getting it cleaned?" Levi remained silent. "Divorce over the weekend?" This time Levi turned his glare on her. 

"Can you go? Don't you have shit to do?" 

"I thought you said he looked like a douchebag or something?" She asked, eyebrows wiggling playfully.

"Even more valid now. Can you fucking go?" Levi growled out. He wasn't in the mood and rarely cursed at Hanji. 

Hanji was immensely intelligent and thankfully she knew when would be a good time to disappear. 

Erwin turned his head in time to spot Levi glaring at him. The blond offered a bright smile, and Levi only narrowed his eyes. That didn't deter Erwin at all. The smile remained firmly in place as he walked to his workspace and opened the door and slipped inside. 

After a few minutes of glaring at his computer screen, Levi received a text. 

_Good morning! Did you bring my jacket? Feel free to stop in my workspace any time. -ES_

This could give him an opportunity to ask about the ring. He abruptly stood and grabbed the coat from the back of his chair. Pace quick, Levi walked across the office to Erwin's office. After one short knock, he opened the door and stepped inside to see Erwin stupidly smiling up at him from the far end of the long meeting desk. The large window behind him presented a beautiful view of the morning sky. Yellows and blues highlighted the clouds. 

"Good morning! How are you?" Erwin was booting up his laptop, getting ready for the work day. 

"Fine." Levi replied curtly. He openly stared at Erwin's hand. There wasn't a ring. Where the hell did it go? He could see a faint outline where it used to sit. Erwin's fingers wiggled and Levi glanced up to catch his expression. The corner of Erwin's mouth quirked up for a second and his eyebrows rose hopefully.

Levi rose a brow of his own, and Erwin's face changed to allow a larger smile as he saw the coat fisted in Levi's hand. "Ah, you did bring it. Thank you."

Shit. He was thrown off by Erwin's reaction. Something was up. He couldn't ask about the damn ring now. He'd have to ask later. Maybe when they were alone again. Or maybe he wouldn't ask at all. It really wasn't any of his damn business. Even if that ring was off, it didn't fool Levi. His rage was deflating. 

He handed back the coat and Erwin took it. "Thank you." Levi tried not to think about what he did to the coat. Erwin would be disgusted if he found out. 

"You're quiet today. Is everything okay?" Those sharp blue eyes were watching him closely. It was unnerving. Levi shifted his weight. The last time Erwin looked at him like that, he seemed to be about to kiss him. 

"I'm fine."

"I see. Are you not a morning person?"

"Fuck no."

Erwin chuckled, his gaze turned fond. "I can tell." He rubbed the jacket between his fingers. "Did you wash this?" To Levi's horror, Erwin brought the coat to his face and inhaled. 

"I did." Several times in order to get the come stain out of the area he was _directly sniffing._

Erwin looked up to see Levi's face. Levi could feel himself heat up, even if he kept his expression neutral, he couldn't control the humiliating red color that crept over his nose and cheeks. 

Erwin kept his gaze intense for a moment longer before allowing a smile to slide across his lips. "Thank you. It was due for a wash."

That fucker knew something was up, but wasn't saying anything. He was either sparing him the embarrassment, or didn't know exactly what Levi had done. 

"You probably have work to do. I'll see you later." Levi muttered, slipping out of the workspace as fast as possible. He could still feel Erwin's eyes on him as he retreated to his cubicle. 

As soon as he sat down, his phone vibrated. 

_It's good to see you, even if it was only for thirty seconds. -ES_

Even if he was suspicious and mad at Erwin, he couldn't just not reply to his texts. They had been texting a lot lately. It was only natural to text back. 

_Yeah, I have a busy day. Enjoy your new office. -LA_

_Its hardly an office, it's a workspace. It's only temporary. -ES_

For a moment, Levi thought it was unfortunate that Erwin's place in the office lasted only as long as their project. Then he remembered how Erwin had basically been lying to him about being married the past several weeks. Levi's friends were few, and Erwin used to be something of one. Now he didn't know what to think. 

_Yeah. -LA_

A one word reply was a cop-out, but Levi didn't want to focus on the conversation anymore. Their previously easy flowing conversation pattern was at a halt. He needed to get Erwin alone and at least ask about the god damn ring. Even if he told himself it wasn't his business, Levi knew himself well enough to know that he wouldn't be able to let this issue go. 

_I'll let you get back to work. If you need anything, my door is always open. -ES_

There was something about Erwin that made Levi want to instinctively trust him, but he couldn't do that when the evidence was staring him in the face. 

\---

Levi glanced at the clock on his computer screen. Five minutes until he was supposed to break for lunch. 

"We need to talk. Now."

Levi's head shot up. That was the last voice he wanted to hear, especially at _work_. He whirled in his chair. Eren was standing in the doorway of his cubicle. "How the fuck did you get in here?" He hissed between clenched teeth. Did the security take a day off? It was around noon, were they taking a long lunch? 

"Levi. We need to talk. You haven't replied to any of my texts-" Eren's hands were held up placatingly, but there was nothing he could do that could calm Levi down right now. 

"What makes you think it's okay to come to my god damn _workplace_ in order to talk to me?" He was already on his feet, hands clenching. 

Eren put his hands on his hips, "How else am I supposed to get a hold of you? You disappeared. You won't even answer the door and I know you're home-" 

"We're not doing this here." Levi cut him off again. "You're not going to embarrass me in front of my co-workers." Was Hanji still in her cubicle? She was probably listening in with glee. Oh god, was Erwin around? His eyes flashed to Erwin's workspace, but from this angle he couldn't see him. Please for the love of god let him be busy or something-

"Is that what I am to you? An embarrassment?" Eren barked, voice raising. 

"We're not doing this here." He growled. Eren wasn't going to leave without saying whatever he needed to say. There was a fierce look in those eyes. "Outside. Now." 

Eren hesitated, like he wasn't going to listen for a second, but then turned and began walking toward the elevator. Levi followed. What else could he do? He knew if Eren had came all the way here, he was determined to talk to him. 

He kept his eyes locked on the conference room as he walked. Erwin slowly came into view. He was typing and looking at his computer screen, but as Levi passed he glanced up. 

Levi's stomach plummeted as they made eye contact. He didn't look away as he saw Erwin's gaze trail forward and rest on Eren. A flash of recognition passed across his features before he settled into an inscrutable expression. Neutral. 

Levi's lips pulled down but that was the only signal he gave Erwin. The blonde just watched. There wasn't any sign of anything from him. His eyes followed the pair of them as the elevator doors closed behind them. 

Levi folded his arms and glared at the wall as the elevator began to sink down. Surprisingly, Eren was silent as well. Levi sighed audibly. Why did Erwin have to notice them? He probably thought he was getting back together with this idiot. 

Luckily, the elevator doors opened and Levi darted out and to the parking lot. When he was a few paces away from the building, he whirled around to face Eren, jaw tight. "Thanks for that. The whole office saw my personal life. Thank you-" 

"If you answered your damn phone I wouldn't have to come here!" Eren's green eyes were already roaring with fire. 

"Yeah? Isn't it obvious I don't want to talk to you?" 

"You just left, Levi. You left without saying anything." Eren's voice cracked. 

"I didn't know what to say. I just don't feel the same way."

"I'm not stupid. I know why you broke up with me. I'm not in school. I don't have a job. I don't have a 401k or a fancy apartment-"

"Yeah. That's part of it, but it's not just your status. We're- there's a big age difference."

"So?"

"So that's a big difference. We have different lifestyles. Different goals." Levi knew he was sounding shallow, but it was true. "Grow up, Eren." 

Eren silently shook his head, his jaw clenched. The quiet stretched thin. Levi watched Eren blink rapidly, fighting back tears. 

Levi sighed and folded his arms, one hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop an approaching headache. "Look, you're a nice guy." Levi closed his eyes when he heard Eren sniff. Shit, he didn't mean to make him cry. He tried to soften his tone. "You're handsome. You're driven. Even if you think you need me, you're determined enough to rely on yourself-"

"I don't need a fucking pep talk from you." Eren's temper didn't cool off slowly. 

"Then why the hell are you still here? Huh?" 

Eren grew silent again and glared at the ground. Levi glanced over his shoulder back to the building, back to the floor where the design firm was located. His eyes widened in anger when he saw a brunette in a ponytail watching from the window. 

Fucking Hanji. Levi raised his hand high to flip her off. Of course she was watching. Of course. Levi became even more infuriated when she gave him a thumbs up in return. He was never going to be nice to her ever again. 

There were a few people next to Hanji to spectate, but Levi didn't give a shit. He didn't really care. He knew half of his co-workers names. They probably didn't respect him much anyway, but whatever. If they wanted to watch, sure so long as Erwin wasn't-

His eyes drifted over to the adjacent window and his hopes vanished. He could clearly see that head of blond hair. Lucky him, his office window faced the parking lot. Erwin had a first row seat to watch this stupid argument. Fuck fuck fuck. Levi's face turned red. 

He quickly turned away to face Eren again. He was wiping at his eyes. 

"Don't bother me at work ever again. I don't want to hear from you for awhile. Three months." It was odd to give Eren a timeframe, but he needed to get over Levi. No contact for awhile would be best for both of them. 

"I'm glad we're done." Eren needed to have the last word, didn't he? Levi folded his arms again and rose his eyebrows, urging him to get it all out while he was there. "Why would I want to even be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love me?"

"Exactly. I just don't feel the same way." Levi threw up his hands in mock revelation. Eren was being over dramatic. It was hard to reason with him. "Okay. I'm done with this." Levi checked his watch. He'd used up all of his lunch break, and if he didn't get back his boss would be pissed. Eren wasn't worth risking his job. "I need to get back to work." 

"Okay. Fine. Whatever. I don't give a shit." Eren turned and began walking away. 

Levi rolled his eyes and watched him walk to a car parked a block away. A tan Oldsmobile, Jean's car. At least Eren had a friend to confide in. 

Levi turned and headed back to the office. He felt bad. Eren had been in tears earlier. That wasn't what he wanted. Levi wanted Eren to be happy and successful, just not by his side. 

He hit the button for the elevator and rode up to his floor. Of course everyone was shuffling around and trying to act normal, like he didn't just see them spying from the window. They didn't have anything better to do than watch Levi argue with an eighteen year old. 

He passed Erwin's office without looking, his eyes glued to the floor. Levi made a beeline to the men's bathroom. After locking himself in a stall, he took a moment to rub his temples and take in the silence. Today had been stressful, and a moment of quiet would help. He still had a lot of work to do today, and this wouldn't tarnish his impeccable no sick day streak. A little alone time was all he needed to get back on track. 

The bathroom door creaked open and footsteps announced the presence of another person. There was a knock on the bathroom stall. 

"Levi?" 

"Holy shit, Erwin." He ground out. "I'm taking a fucking shit. Leave me alone." This guy had balls to be knocking on a stall door when another man was inside. 

"Looks like you're having a rough day." Erwin continued as if Levi hadn't just snapped at him. 

No shit he was having a rough day and on so many levels. Such a rough day he was trying to better his mood by hiding in a god damned bathroom stall at work. 

"Why don't you come to my house after work for a beer?" Erwin's voice echoed hopefully against the tile of the bathroom. 

Ah. That would give him an opportunity to ask Erwin about a couple things. Another confrontation at work would make him the drama star of the office, and Levi didn't want that attention. He opened the door of the stall. Erwin was waiting, leaning against a ceramic sink. 

"Fine." Levi answered, folding his arms across his chest. "Buy some of the nice stuff." 

 

\-----

 

Erwin unlocked the door to his apartment, allowing them both inside. He flipped on a light switch and Levi took a look at his surroundings. It was exciting to see where Erwin lived and what it was like.

He lived on the north side of town, the nice side. Levi knew apartments there cost a lot to live in, so he completely skipped over this area when apartment hunting. 

As expected, it was clean. Of course it wasn't up to his immaculate standards, but clutter was kept out of sight. There was dust on some of the bookshelves and the coffee table, but that was forgiven. The couch was nice and long, a comfortable cream suede material, Levi noted. 

"I'll get glasses, then I can show you around." Erwin announced, heading into the kitchen. Levi heard a thunk as Erwin set the six pack down on the counter. Although today had been stressful, he wasn't planning on drinking much. Maybe one. 

Levi took time to poke around the place, wanting to get to know him better through his home. 

He wandered into the living room, glancing over the bookshelf. There were lots of books on architecture or facets of architecture. Frederick Olmsted, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Frank Ghery were among the names of the authors. Levi wondered if Erwin would let him borrow a book or two someday. 

His scanning came to a dead stop when his eyes caught a picture on the shelf. A candid shot of a younger Erwin and a woman. A _beautiful_ woman. She had long blond hair and a stunning smile. She wore a white dress, and Erwin was next to her looking polished in a tuxedo. Although they were at their own wedding, it looked like they were goofing off in their embrace. Erwin was kissing her hand with the other looped around her middle and she was playfully swatting his shoulder, her bright smile showing that she liked his antics. They looked very happy. They looked very in love. 

Levi felt sick. Erwin looked happy with her, and it made his stomach churn. Why couldn't he be happy that Erwin was in a good relationship? Seeing an actual picture of his wife was like a stab to the gut. She was probably nice, kind. She was probably a couple rooms over curled up in Erwin's bed, waiting for him to come home from work. Perhaps she would be happy to meet Levi. She was probably smart and funny, outgoing and a good person. She probably had no idea that Erwin's co-worker was gay and was was fucking jerking off, _lusting_ over her husband. She probably had no idea that her flawless husband left lingering touches on him the other night at the bar and stared hard at his mouth like he wanted to kiss him in his car. 

Levi felt disgusting, slimy. He liked Erwin as a person. He should be happy he found love. Instead he felt bitter. Bitter because his own relationship was a failure. Bitter because Erwin was with someone else. Bitter because Erwin was taking off his ring for some fucking reason and he didn't have the _fucking balls to ask why._

Levi tipped the picture over on its face and Erwin poked his head out from the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat? I can make-"

"Keep your voice down." Levi snapped, causing Erwin's jaw to click shut. "You wouldn't want to wake up your _wife_ , would you?" There was venom in his voice and his stare toward Erwin was icy. The man hadn't responded yet. 

Erwin looked uncomfortable, rooted to the spot where he stood. His expression turned to confused, but his shoulders were squared. He licked his lips, and cocked his head, his words coming out deliberately, slowly. "What do you mean?"

Wrong answer. 

_What did he mean? What the fuck did Erwin think he meant?_

Rage flared within Levi and he strode across the room, his hand shooting out to grab Erwin by his collar. "Your _wife!_ " He snarled, teeth flashing as he growled. "Do you think I'm stupid? You used to wear a ring to our meetings and you've been taking it off. Are you doing that so you can fuck around with me? Is she here? Or is she gone for the weekend or something?" His grip on Erwin's collar steadily grew tighter and tighter. Was Erwin just manipulating him? Is that all it was? 

Erwin's jaw was fixed, and eyebrows drawn in, but Levi wasn't getting the angry reaction he wanted in return. He searched Erwin's eyes and found something unexpected. There was hard steel mixed with something else that he couldn't place. Those eyes eyes turned downcast for a moment, staring at the floor. His tone was flat and serious. The answer he received from him took him by surprise. "My wife is dead. She died four years ago. " 

It was Levi's turn to tense up. 

Holy shit. 

That's why he took the ring off. That's why he looked sad when Levi mentioned kids. That's why he had a fucking picture of the woman in his home. It all clicked into place.

He really fucked up. Levi could feel his face heat up with shame. He had never messed up this bad in his entire life. He screamed at Erwin about his dead wife, who he obviously was still grieving from his reaction. He just recently took the ring off after four years. He felt like a monster. 

Levi opened his mouth to try and apologize. "I....." All the anger had left him suddenly. His fingers uncurled and left Erwin's collar. 

He felt terrible. How could he make this up to him? What could he even say? 

The air was heavy between them as Levi tried to figure out what words to use to express how sorry he was. Erwin's eyes still held fire, but his lips were in a thin line, and he swallowed a lump in his throat. He looked down again and Levi tensed up once more. Was Erwin going to cry? What the fuck would he do if he cried? Levi couldn't even manage an apology right now, let alone comfort him. He'd just make everything ten times worse. 

"You're not gonna cry on me, are you?" The words slipped out of his mouth and he immediately regretted saying anything at all. His voice sounded hoarse, giving his tone a rough edge. How many cruel things could he say in the course of five minutes? He didn't mean for it to come out like that. He just wanted to tell him he was shit when tears were involved, especially when he already made an ass of himself royally. 

Erwin's only hand clenched into a fist and Levi saw his shoulders heave as he took a deep breath. "Get out." 

Levi held his hands up between them. "Erwin wait- I didn't mean it like-"

"Levi. Leave. Now." Erwin hissed through clenched teeth, his blue eyes were now blazing. Levi didn't argue. It was clear that if he didn't leave within ten seconds, he was probably going to get a much deserved fist in his face. 

He didn't bother closing the door as he left, letting it swing open on its hinges as he sped down the stairs, avoiding the elevator since that would take too long. 

When he reached outside, it finally hit him. Erwin didn't have a wife. He stopped in his tracks. For half a second, that thought made him incredibly happy. Erwin was single. He was obviously into him. He was _single_. 

Then it sunk in. Not only did he insult the thing Erwin was most sensitive about, but he was joyous about it. He was absolutely thrilled that Erwin didn't have a wife. She was dead. He felt sick. He felt like a fucking asshole. What was wrong with him? He was a terrible person. With shaky hands, he unlocked his car and began to drive home. 

He needed to figure out how to fix this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a little longer than usual to update again. This chapter is a little longer as well, so hopefully that makes up for the wait. If anyone wants to chat or drop me a note my tumblr it's allyintherain. Again, thanks chhharl for beta reading this for me!

_I'm sorry I yelled at you for having a dead wife. -LA_

No. Delete. 

_I didn't know you were widowed and I jerked off on your coat. Forgive me. -LA_

Delete. Delete. 

_You should have told me about your dead wife from day one you goddamned asshole. -LA_

Absolutely no. Delete. 

Levi stared up at his phone, glowing in the dark of his bedroom. The open text was blank, the cursor blinking impatiently as he tried to think of what to say. He had tried to rest but he couldn't, so now he was just laying there. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Erwin probably never wanted to speak to him again. The man probably hated him for screaming and practically assaulting him. Erwin's earlier expression was dark and sorrowful. Was Erwin still awake as well? His wife died years ago, and Levi had dug her up in the worst way possible. Had he caused Erwin to mourn her again? Levi groaned and rolled to his side. 

But there was something else he couldn't extinguish. There was a small bit of hope. Relief that Erwin wasn't completely unavailable. That thought was tightly screwed in. 

He mentally replayed their interactions. Erwin had for sure flirted with him on several separate occasions, and when he looked down to his lips with that yearning look in his eye-

Gah, he wanted to squash out the happy feeling. 

It only amplified how much he felt like an asshole. It made his actions seem even worse. Heartless, when he can feel so happy immediately after saying such terrible things. 

"I'm a fucking idiot." He murmured, setting his phone on the bedside table. The day had been shitty in so many ways and he just wanted to sleep. Levi's eyelids felt heavy, but every time he felt close to sleep, guilt rolled in his stomach. He stood and walked to the medicine cabinet, popping a sleeping pill into his mouth. After a sip of water from the tap, he retreated back to bed. Eventually he was able to find sleep. 

 

\------

 

Levi woke to the piercing sound of his ringtone. It was eight am, who the hell was calling this early? His hand blindly reached out from under the blanket and snatched his cell phone from the bedside table. His anger diminished for a split second when he hoped it was Erwin, but he sighed irritably when he saw the caller was Hanji. His thumb swiped across his phone screen. 

"Hello?" Levi rasped, pressing the phone to his ear. 

"Hey! Did I wake you up?" Hanji's voice was twice as obnoxious in the morning. 

"No. What do you want?" Levi wasn't in the mood to dick around. Nor was he in the mood to talk to her, or anyone ever again. Especially after her bullshit thumbs up when he was arguing with Eren yesterday. 

"Ah, right to the point. Erwin friended me on Facebook!" Hanji's voice sounded proud and clear, but Levi was filled with dread at the mention of his name. 

"Hanji-" 

"-And I snooped around and figured out the ring stuff. Get this, he's a widower-" 

"I know. I know he's a widower." He growled as he sat up in bed. 

"Oh. I thought you didn't know?" Her statement ended in a question and Levi felt he needed to explain himself.

"I went to his house last night." He scrubbed a hand over his face and stood. "I confronted him and he told me." When put into words, his actions sounded even shittier. 

There was a beat of silence on the other line. "And?" 

Of course Hanji wanted juicy details. "I yelled at him, grabbed his shirt, then called him a crybaby." 

"Holy shit Levi." 

"Yeah. I know." He ran a hand through his hair. Levi's voice dropped to a whisper, ashamed. "I fucked it up big time." 

"Uh yeah. He's technically your boss." 

"Fuck. Fuck me." He groaned. Leave it to Hanji to point out his fuck-ups were worse than he initially thought. 

"Can he file sexual harassment?Does this count?" 

Hope? Was there hope the night before? It was gone now. "Fuck fuck fuck. Hanji, what if I lose the project over this?"

"What if you lose your job?" She countered, concerned. "You can't just do that to people, especially a superior." 

"I know I'm an idiot. Stupidest thing I've ever done-"

"Did you apologize? Is he mad?"

"Not really, and probably." He walked to the kitchen, starting to pace. "How do I apologize?" Was he even allowed to talk to another human being after this fuckup? 

"I don't know. Bring him coffee?" There was a shrug in her voice. 

"Bring him coffee. Bring him coffee." Levi repeated, sarcasm etched deeply in his tone. He stopped at his kitchen counter to bang his fist against it as punctuation. "After insulting his dead wife, I give him coffee to make it better? Shit, why didn't I think of that before? That fixes everything!"

"Hey! I don't know what to do, I don't piss people off like you do!" Hanji's voice was raising, but it sounded like she was finding more humor in Levi's predicament than anything. She knew just how to infuriate him. "Well you have to do something. Don't take it out on me."

"I know you're trying to help-" He took a breath and began to pace once more. "-but my job is at stake. That and now I'm down to one friend again."

"And what an honor it is to be named that friend." 

"Shut it. Yeah that bullshit you pulled the other day has you on pretty thin ice."

"What bullshit?"

"With the thumbs up and the crowd of people watching me duke it out with Eren."

"You're fun to spectate." There was a smile in her voice and a frown on Levi's face. 

"You know what? I'm done talking for now. I have things to do. I'll see you Monday." His reply was curt, barely hearing a goodbye from the other line before hanging up the phone. Levi checked his phone's clock. There was still plenty of time in the morning to head over to Erwin's. 

 

\-----

Luckily, Levi remembered where Erwin's apartment was even after one brief trip. He had compiled a couple things before heading over. A bottle of red wine (a nice mid price brand) and a tall cup of coffee as per Hanji's suggestion. He knew for certain that Erwin liked red wine, and everyone liked coffee in the morning. 

Now he was standing outside of Erwin's apartment building. Morning chill was still in the air, but the hot coffee kept his bare hands warm. 

He reached for the door handle and pulled. Locked. Fuck. A place as nice as Erwin's wouldn't just let anyone in. There was a list of names and a buzzer. Of course there was a buzzer. It was to keep jerks like him out. This had the potential to make it more awkward. With a steadying breath, he pressed the button by Erwin Smith's name. There was a moment of silence before Erwin's voice ground through the box. 

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Levi."

There was silence from the other side. Shit. He stared at the microphone box, waiting for any kind of reply. 

Levi was startled when the buzzer's shrill alarm rang though the air, but he managed to grab the door just before the buzzer ended and stepped inside. After a short elevator ride, Levi found himself at Erwin's thick oak apartment door. He tucked the bottle of wine under his elbow and raised a hand to knock twice. A moment later, the door opened. 

Erwin wore a dark blue robe, the collar of his gray flannel button up pajamas visible. The sleeve of his right arm dangled uselessly at his side. Had Levi woken him up? What time was it, nine thirty? Levi remained frozen to the spot as Erwin stayed in the doorway. The crisp and collected image of Erwin he had gathered from their days working together was gone. Erwin's eyes were soft from sleep, and he hadn't shaved yet. Even now, looking mildly sleep deprived and disheveled, he looked handsome. 

Those thick eyebrows rose expectantly and his lips were a thin line. Of course Erwin was still mad. Last night hadn't been pretty. There was so much emotion etched in his face the night before. Now it was masked with a controlled neutral expression. 

Levi cleared his throat and held out the bottle of wine. "Here."

Erwin eyed the bottle. If Erwin never wanted to speak to him again and quit the project or fire him, he wouldn't blame him. 

With a hesitant hand, Erwin took the bottle. Levi let out the breath he was holding. Their relationship wasn't completely mended, but he knew the first step had been taken. 

Erwin's eyes flicked over the label of the bottle. "Hmm. Apology wine?"

"And apology coffee." Levi added, holding up and lightly shaking the to-go coffee cup he had procured. 

Erwin gave a slow nod as he acknowledged Levi's attempt to right an offense. The ice in his blue eyes melted just a fraction. "Come in." Erwin stepped aside and Levi stepped through the threshold of his apartment. 

It was strange to be here again, when less than 24 hours ago he had fled as quickly as possible. He eyed the spot where they stood when he grabbed Erwin's collar. 

"Come sit down." Erwin led the way to a small dining area just past the living room. Levi hadn't even seen the whole apartment yet. He jumped into confrontation before Erwin had a chance to show him anything else. As they passed the bookshelf, his eyes caught on the wedding picture again. It was turned right side up. Her smile made Levi feel sick with regret. 

Erwin set the wine bottle down on a small table for two. The floor to ceiling window next to it let in yellow morning light, and from out Levi could see another apartment building and a few cars passing on the street below. 

Levi took of his coat sat across from him and placed the coffee cup on Erwin's side of the table. "So, apology coffee." 

"Apology coffee _indeed_." Erwin repeated and leaned forward in his seat. He raised an eyebrow as he obviously was waiting for Levi to say something. 

Levi knew that if he wanted to try salvaging things, he would have to actually say he was sorry. They were a few words that Erwin was much owed, but they were so hard to formulate. He couldn't simply let them pass through his lips. 

"What I did last night was inappropriate." Levi looked down at the table, thin brows drawn down. "I fully accept if you want me removed from the project. I apologize for what I said." He wished he had his own cup of coffee so he would have something to keep his hands occupied. The silence from Erwin's end was nerve wracking. Perhaps he should have worded it differently. He sounded clinical, and that's not how he wanted to express how he felt. "Erwin-"

"I don't want you removed from the project." 

Levi looked up and met Erwin's eyes. He didn't look mad anymore, but he was still unreadable. What the hell was he thinking?

"I'm not going to remove you, or tell HR or anything. It was between you and me."

"You don't have to keep me around just because I'm talented. There are other people you can hire-" Erwin held up a hand to silence him. 

"It's not about that. I've already told you that I consider you more than a co-worker."

"Erwin, thank you, but what I did wasn't okay." 

"No it wasn't." Erwin pulled the cup of coffee closer to himself. Levi frowned in confusion and Erwin continued. "I should have kept my intentions under wraps until I had a chance to tell you."

"Your intentions?" As Levi said the words out loud, it clicked. What an elegant way to word "flirting".

"Yes. I should have remained cordial, casual until I could say something about my widower status." Erwin's gaze drifted to the street below. 

"Erwin." Levi's rough voice caused his attention to snap back. "Stop trying to make this _your_ fault. I was having a bad day and I took it out on you. You should be able to tell someone about- your past when you're ready, not when it's torn out of you."

Erwin didn't have a reply for that one. He took a long sip of his coffee. Levi continued. "You should have given me a heads up or something, but that's all. My people skills are out of whack, and I'm sorry you had to see a shitty side of me. It won't happen again." This apology was turning painfully long.

Erwin looked up, thinking it over before replying with a short "Fine." 

There was another moment of silence between them as the air cleared. Levi rested an elbow on the table. So Erwin was single and admitted to flirting with him. Now that the thought had sunken in, it caused him to feel pleasantly anxious again. Not only was he able to keep his position, but it was confirmed Erwin had a thing for him. The ball was in his court. 

"You know," Erwin sent him a half smile. "I was going to tell you on my own last night, why I took off my ring. I saw you noticed it." Again, he wiggled his fingers against the coffee cup. "You beat me to it."

Levi's hand braced his chin as he leaned in on his elbow. He opened his mouth to make some sort of sharp reply, but closed it once he thought better of it. Erwin's wife had died. He didn't feel comfortable in that territory yet, especially since Erwin's reaction had been so strong last night. Although his expression was calm now, he could still remember the pain etched in his features from the night before. 

"So why did you take it off?" He asked, already knowing part of he answer. He had already fucked up once and misinterpreted things, he didn't want to risk it again. Levi crossed a leg and leaned back in his chair as he waited for an answer. 

Erwin took a sip of coffee before replying. "It's been years and no one has caught my eye. I haven't tried to date, or anything at all." Erwin's stare made Levi feel uncomfortable. This time around, Erwin wasn't subtle at all. He continued. "That is until now. I can't pursue someone with a ring on."

Levi nodded slowly. There was pressure behind Erwin's words, but the man caught onto how he felt immediately. 

"I don't have any expectations. We're just friends, we've just been talking." Erwin back pedaled quickly and Levi couldn't help a hint of a smirk. 

"Sure. Talking." Levi folded his arms. "Yesterday you seemed pretty happy to be without a wedding ring, and I was pretty pissed off for being led on."

Erwin smiled when Levi called his bluff. "We're at quite an odd spot, aren't we?" 

Levi scoffed out a laugh. He didn't think his admission of attraction for Erwin would be yelling about his dead wife. They weren't dating by any means, but there was something there that Levi didn't have a name for. 

Erwin spoke up. "So we have mutual interests then?" 

Levi rolled his eyes. "I can't fucking believe you. When we're hanging out you talk like we're having a business meeting, and when we're having a business meeting, you talk like we're hanging out." 

Erwin choked on his coffee as he chuckled and Levi huffed out another laugh. It was rare when Erwin was caught off guard. The man didn't seem used to people challenging him often. It was also rare that someone encouraged his own awful comments. He'd rather have Erwin choke and laugh instead of dark and tearful any day. 

"You're right. I'll try to keep this meeting casual." Erwin played along with a handsome smile teasing along his lips. It hit Levi again that Erwin was single. Dear god, he shouldn't be so happy about this, but he was. He needed to remove himself before messing it up. 

"So, I think I'm going to head out." Levi stood from the chair and stretched his arms casually. He didn't want to leave, but he felt out of place. He invited himself over and apologized for an offense, but now he felt awkward and was unsure how long he should linger. 

"So soon?" Erwin's eyes held a disappointed look. 

Levi hesitated as he reached for his coat. Erwin had kicked him out of his house the night before, and now he sounded loathe to see him leave. It was a wonderful change. 

"I'll make lunch." Levi's head perked up and he glanced at Erwin at the suggestion of food. "I'm making salmon. Baked."

Levi had skipped breakfast, and his stomach ached angrily to clear his thoughts of leaving. "I guess I can stay awhile longer."

"Good." Erwin stood from the table and led the way to the kitchen, coffee in hand. "Would you like to help?"

"Sure." Although he had apologized already, Levi was still easily bending to Erwin's wishes. "What do you want me to do?" He asked as he followed Erwin. His kitchen was a moderate size for an apartment. Easy enough for two people to move around easily. What was impressive was the quality. The upscale apartment had marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a large wine rack filled with bottles. 

"You can prep the asparagus." Erwin opened the fridge to take out the salmon and vegetables. He handed Levi the bundle and then a cutting board. "Knives are to your left."

As Levi set up his station and cut, he watched Erwin out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be completely comfortable working in the kitchen with only one hand. The oven was turned on, the salmon was carefully cut in several pieces, then wrapped in tin foil. All of this was done without hesitation. Erwin was well adapted to life with one arm. There wasn't anything he couldn't do. 

Levi's eyes wandered away as he neatly stacked the asparagus to the side. "So you do like wine huh?" He asked as he looked over the wine rack with interest. There was quite a collection there, not an empty space, but the bottles looked dusty. 

"I do." Erwin checked the oven temperature and slid the pan inside. "I guess we have to open a bottle to make room for yours, don't we?"

"Sure." He trailed a finger along one of the bottles and held his dirty finger up in disgust. "Saving these for a special occasion?" 

"Ah- well." Levi rose his eyebrows as Erwin verbally stumbled. That didn't happen often. Erwin looked sheepish as he replied, averting his eyes as he fetched a bottle opener from a drawer. "It's hard to open a bottle one handedly."

So that was why he was always ordering wine at restaurants. Levi took the bottle opener from him. "What one do you want me to open?" 

"This one." Erwin answered quickly as he slid a green bottle out of the rack. "It's sweet, hopefully you'll like it."

"No guarantees." Levi was handed the bottle and he screwed the corkscrew in. "You can't call up a friend and have them open it for you?"

"I don't have too many friends." Levi didn't reply as he tugged on the bottle opener. It was harder than he thought. It was a shame Erwin didn't have a push down opener. He may be able to open it by himself if he held the bottle between his knees. "I've been told I'm a workaholic, so I don't meet too many people outside of my field."

"Same here. I have one friend. Two if you count." He sent Erwin a quick glance to let him know he was teasing as he wrenched out the cork. He handed Erwin the bottle and let him pour them both a glass. He watched the clear white liquid trickle steadily out of the bottle. "I think you've seen her. Hanji, she's in the cubicle next to me."

"I'll keep an eye out for her on Monday. Let me know if you like this wine. I can pick up more." Erwin held up the glass in a toast and Levi clinked their glasses together with a confused frown. 

"What are we toasting? Drinking before noon? Drinking before you've showered and shaved?" 

"That sounds good." Erwin took a sip of his wine and Levi followed suit. He let the liquid sit on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. 

"Not bad. It's peachy."

"Mmhmm. One of my favorites."

"Aren't mimosas more of a brunch drink?"

"We can have those next time." 

It was good to hear that there would be a next time. It was good to hear Erwin's voice in general. Levi was afraid for a moment that he wouldn't hear it in such a fond tone again. They were back to their usual banter, but things were still a little off. Last time it was just the two of them, there was more touching. Levi missed that, even if it was innocent. 

"So, these asparagus need to be steamed?" He asked, leaning against Erwin's kitchen counter. 

"Yes." Erwin rummaged through a cabinet and Levi went behind him to open the fridge. 

"We need butter too-" his voice cut off when he caught sight of something in the fridge. "You've got to be kidding me."

Erwin paled as he set down the steamer. "Levi, I can explain-"

"Box wine? Are you serious?" Levi held the fridge door open wide, showing Erwin's dirty secret to the world. "I know you can't open bottles well, but come on."

"It's only once in awhile. It's one of the better brands to be honest. There's five whole bottles in one box-"

"Look, call me up next time you need a bottle opened. I don't want to see this in your fridge again." Levi shook his head, disappointed. "This is sad. Mister wine connoisseur, caught with box wine. I can't believe it. Just when I thought I figured you out another secret unfolds."

"You don't even like wine, so hush." 

"You like to think you're so fancy, but I know who you really are." Levi closed the fridge door and approached Erwin. He poked him in the chest accusingly. "You're just a bum who likes box wine and doesn't shower on the weekends." 

He watched Erwin's mouth curve up in a slow smile. His clear blue eyes held affection again. "I do too shower, I just haven't yet." 

"I'll believe it when I see it." He countered. 

"See it? Levi, isn't that a bit forward of you?" That smile broadened and Levi knew Erwin had won this one. He felt heat creep up the back of his neck and he stepped away. Levi turned back to the fridge to get the butter now that the asparagus was in the steamer. 

He grunted. "I didn't mean it like that, asshole." He rolled his eyes, upset that he was one upped. 

Erwin put his hand on his hip, looking proud of himself. "Anyway, you're the one who tries to act classy. You wear such nice clothes and then order soda at a fancy restaurant. That and you drive a hunk of junk." 

"Hey, that hunk of junk got me through college. It's reliable." The tables were turned, but Levi embraced it. "At least I admit I'm trash, instead of trying to hide it away in my fridge." 

"I wasn't hiding it..."

"Sure you weren't." Levi opened the oven to peek inside. "Done yet?" He asked. 

Erwin glanced at the clock. "Should be." The salmon was removed and plated, the asparagus following shortly after. They returned to the table for an early lunch. 

"Tell me about Hanji." Erwin asked after taking a sip of wine. 

"No."

"Why not? She seems nice."

"Not at all. She's insane."

"What does she do?"

"Tech. If you catch a virus from looking at porn on your computer, she can fix it." Levi deadpanned. 

"Oh? You know from experience?" Erwin smiled around a bite of salmon. 

Levi gave Erwin a tight, disappointed look as a reply. The man knew that Levi was holding back and was using it to his advantage. Levi would have to remember to never piss Erwin off again, because making it up to him by being nice was painful. 

Of course Levi could see from the glint in Erwin's eyes that he knew he was holding back. The blond hummed. "So, I saw Eren payed you a visit."

Oh god, did he have to bring that up? Levi set his fork down and rubbed a temple. "Do we have to talk about that?" 

Erwin's lips curved up. "Well, you brought up my dead wife." 

Levi sent him a glare. What a bastard. Erwin knew just what kind of leverage he had and how to use it to get what he wanted. Levi wasn't surprised. He spoke with a shrug and a sigh. "He came to the office to bitch me out. I don't know what he wanted. Closure?" Levi reached for the wine glass again. 

"Did you apologize?" Erwin's brows were up and interested. 

"I did." Levi murmured into the glass. "That didn't go over well."

"Ah. That's too bad." Erwin seemed to say weird things like that often. Levi knew he was interested in him, so why did he encourage good relations with an ex? Perhaps it had something to do with his late wife. That wasn't a topic for right now. Erwin should be able to open up about that on his own. 

"I told him not to contact me for awhile." Levi blurt out. Erwin paused mid bite. 

"Oh? Why?"

"Because he came to my workplace to do personal business. It made me look unprofessional." Levi folded his arms in front of him. 

"I understand, but he seems young. Perhaps you should be a little easier on him." Erwin's advice was normally solid, but Levi made another grunt in reply. 

"Maybe. I'll think about it." Levi stood and gathered their empty plates. 

"Ah, don't worry about that. I'll get to the dishes later." Erwin followed Levi to the kitchen only to watch him quickly take care of the plates and glasses. 

"It'll just bug me if I know they're going to sit in the sink for hours."

As he dried his hands when he was done. "Alright. Now that you've fed me, I think I'll head out. I'm behind on a couple things for work after the disaster of yesterday." 

"I'll walk you to the door." Again, this encounter felt oddly like some sort of date. Levi gathered his coat, but hesitated at the door. 

"Well, I guess I'll see you Monday?" There was tension between them, but Levi promised himself that he wouldn't act upon it. He had already rushed and almost ruined things. It was time to slow down and let Erwin take the lead. He had made him highly uncomfortable when Erwin had made him feel at home. Levi wanted to let him go at his own pace, especially after just taking off his ring. 

Erwin stuck out his hand between them, and Levi glanced down, confused. A handshake? Sure. Levi took his hand and Erwin gave two deliberate shakes, then pulled back and tried to bump knuckles with Levi's limp hand. 

"What was that shit?" Levi asked, eyes flicking back and fourth between their hands and Erwin's face. 

"Our handshake. Remember?"

"Our handshake?" Levi sighed yet another time today, but this time it was paired with a small smile. "Really?" 

"Yes really." Erwin looked pleased with himself. Levi wasn't sure if it was because he remembered their shake or if it was because he got Levi to smile again. 

"You're ridiculous. I was drunk. Please don't remind me of the dumb things I do after a couple beers." Levi shook his head and tried to control that little smile that teased along his lips. 

"No guarantees. I'll see you Monday." Erwin offered a wave and a smirk as Levi departed. 

Levi left Erwin's apartment with a warm feeling in his gut. The night before, he felt like a scum bag, but Erwin forgave him. What a patient person. Even after seeing his worst side, Erwin still encouraged the good. Levi had felt like a terrible person, but after spending time with Erwin, he felt like he wasn't.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Life has been hectic lately. Anyway, this chapter is longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for it. I'm sure a lot of you were waiting for this chapter haha. A big thank you to my beta Chhharl for providing valuable feedback. Every suggestion you have is super useful. My tumblr is allyintherain.tumblr.com if anyone wants to drop me a line there.

Finally, he clicked on the "Accept friend" button. Although he could glean a decent amount of information from his restricted profile, the rest of Erwin's personal life opened before him on Facebook. More photos were available. Photos of Erwin at his wedding, photos of an award dinner he attended, photos Erwin had taken in China, and in New York. More pieces of his life fell into place. His wife had died in a car accident. They were married for six months. They met in college. Erwin's Facebook friend number was 68. Hanji was their only friend in common. The person who liked the most of Erwin's posts was someone Mike Zacharius. The person who made the most comments was Ellen Smith, who Levi assumed was his mother. 

_[You've finally added me! -ES]_

Levi wasn't expecting to chat with him over Facebook instant messenger. He almost clicked away, but decided to humor him. He seemed excited. 

_[You said we were friends now, right? -LA]_

Levi thought about the status update he had made recently and considered deleting them. He was sure Erwin would pick through his account as well. He had made everything private after Erwin had first commented on his profile awhile ago. 

_[Indeed we are. I see you've been Wong Fu Tea lately. I frequent that shop too. -ES]_

The topic was in reference to a recent status update he made about picking up more tea. So Erwin liked tea too? Levi leaned back on his couch and pulled his laptop closer. He reached for his full cup nearby. 

_[So you don't just have refined taste in wine. Wong Fu is the best tea shop in town. -LA]_

_[Perhaps we can go together sometime? What's your favorite kind of tea? -ES]_

Was Erwin asking him on a date? Levi decided to tease him a little and skip around the question. 

_[ I like Earl Grey. You? -LA]_

_[ I like herbal teas generally. I don't think I've had Earl Grey. -ES]_

_[Well I guess we have to go to the tea shop together since you haven't had the best tea on the planet. What have you been doing with your life? -LA]_

_[Not drinking enough tea I suppose, haha. -ES]_

_[Plan for Thursday. We can swing by after work together. -LA]_

Technically, Erwin had suggested the idea. Levi shifted on his couch again. They were still at this weird in between stage. Normally, Levi would take the reigns in relationships, but he felt uncomfortable doing that at the present time. He had forced private, intimate information out of Erwin, and now he was leaving it up to him to set the pace. Throughout the last week, he had let Erwin text him and contact him first. Levi was a demanding person, but he was able to reign it in.

_[Sounds like a good plan. -ES]_

\-------

"So why don't you have a prosthetic arm?" Levi took a long drink from his thermos of tea, picked up from the tea shop a few days earlier with Erwin. 

Erwin looked up from his checklist and gave Levi a curious look. Perhaps he shouldn't just ask questions like that. It was pretty out of the blue, since they were at work and currently figuring out a timeline for their project. They were working together in his makeshift office. When Erwin had drawn the shades on the conference windows, he had given Levi a quick glance and murmured, "top secret architecture work." Levi had no idea what he meant, since everyone here worked for the same firm. If Erwin had wanted a little privacy for the both of them for some devious reason, it hadn't happened yet. They had been productive thus far. 

"Ah, they're a little expensive." He set down his pen and Levi watched as he stretched out what was left his arm. "I don't think I need one." The sleeve was pinned up to his shoulder. Erwin stilled looked put off. "Why do you ask?"

"You don't think it would come in _handy_?" A small smile twisted the corners of Levi's lips. It broke into a wince when Erwin's elbow nudged him in the ribs. 

"Ass." Erwin rolled his eyes as Levi rubbed his side. 

"You've got elbows like knives. Watch it." 

"You're just soft from sitting at your computer all day."

"Sorry I don't just walk up six flights of stairs daily without breaking a sweat." He had seen Erwin pop out of the stairwell door looking completely normal. Levi could climb the stairs, but he would at least be breathing heavily by the time he got to his floor. 

Erwin shrugged. "I like to keep in shape." Levi had suspected that for a long time. Sometimes he could see hints of muscle underneath his button down, and his remaining forearm was thick with muscle. He glanced over his body and Erwin raised an eyebrow. 

Levi cocked his head in challenge. "Oh yeah? How much can you lift?"

Erwin grinned and leaned in, his smile letting Levi know how funny he thought his upcoming comment was. "How much do you weigh?" 

Levi's eyes rolled upward in the most dramatic eye roll he could muster. Erwin sure thought he was funny. "You're kidding me."

"You're right, I am. I can lift about ninety pounds-" Levi scoffed in disapproval and Erwin gave him a frown. "Hey, that's with one arm. It's harder to balance and I need a spotter to help hold it."

"So you don't just have one good arm, you have a great arm?" Levi let out a single quiet laugh at his own clever wording. 

"How many arm jokes can you make in a day?" Erwin's nose wrinkled. Apparently he didn't find that joke as funny as Levi did. 

"Well I've made two so far, but I bet I can make more."

"Keep it up Ackerman." Erwin warned, a small smile on his lips. 

"Oh I will." Levi pushed his paperwork out of the way and reached for Erwin's arm. He saw thick brows raise up as his fingers felt along his bicep through his button up shirt. "So, if you have muscle let me see. Flex for me." Levi never thought he would witness it, but he watched Erwin's face tint lightly with pink. Interesting. He hadn't seen Erwin blush before and he looked rather handsome. 

Upon request, Erwin flexed his arm and Levi nodded appreciatively, rubbing his muscle. The corner of his lip curled upward. "Not bad. Can you do one armed push-ups?"

"Levi I swear to god-"

There was a knock at the door and Levi quickly let go of Erwin's arm before the door swung open. Levi picked up his pen as fast as he could and pretended to be working, shuffling the papers closer to himself. 

"Oh. Is this a bad time?" Levi's head shot up immediately when he recognized Hanji's voice. She was wearing a half smile that she was trying to hold in. Her amber eyes were lit up with amusement. Not even Levi’s coldest glare could get through to her. 

Erwin kept his cool, like Levi wasn't just feeling him up moments ago. He cleared his throat. "Ah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I finally figured out how to set up Bluetooth. I don’t need your help anymore.” 

“Alright!” Hanji inclined her head and finally let her smile slip wide, unable to resist letting her perception show. Levi shook his head minutely, trying to subtly tell her to get the fuck out. After a long enough hesitation to make the moment awkward, she finally began to close the office door again. “See you later!”

The door clicked shut and Levi chucked his pen after her, the device landing harmlessly on the floor. “She knows.” 

“Knows what?” Erwin’s eyebrows pinched together.

“She knows that we-” There still wasn’t a name for them yet. Not quite a couple, but not unaffiliated. Grown adults didn’t ask each other out though. It just sort of evolved. Eren had asked Levi to be his boyfriend directly over a text and it was the worst case of second hand embarrassment he had experienced in a long while. Instead of explaining the complex situation, Levi made a gesture between them. “That we- you know.”

“That we what?” That worried expression from before melted away into a knowing smile. Erwin wanted him to say it, didn’t he? 

“That we’re friends.” The smile dropped and Levi tallied a victory on their imaginary scoreboard. 

“Just friends?” It was amusing how Erwin could be so expressive in just a short period of time. 

“Just friends.” He rested his chin on his elbow as he gave Erwin a sidelong look. “People who are more than just friends usually kiss or bang or something, right? We haven't done any of that.” 

“You’re right, they usually do.”

Erwin’s gaze fell to his lips again, and Levi’s heart rate spiked. After taking a moment to consider him, the blond leaned in. He was met with the checklist they were working on. “Can’t do this here, Erwin.” 

“Why not?” Levi’s chest ached when he saw the rejection in those blue eyes. Erwin blew out a breath and leaned back in his office chair. “Are you worried about someone walking in on us?” 

“Yeah a little.” Levi's lips pulled to the side and he lowered the paper between them. “I haven’t looked at company policy yet-”

“I already did." Erwin announced, his mouth quirking up in a smile. "They allow workplace relationships with written documentation." 

A love contract. How cute. Of course Erwin researched. "Well, those normally include something that forbids PDA so..." Levi examined his nails, pretending that the topic was boring him when it had been on his mind from almost day one. 

"So nothing in the office, hm?" Erwin had a gleam in his eye and Levi had a feeling that he would eventually test how far he could get with him in the workplace. Levi watched as Erwin's eyes flicked over him. They lingered on his mouth. Levi wondered about Erwin's self control. 

"Do you want to come over after work?" Levi felt a hand on his knee under the table. God damn Erwin was bold. 

"Sure." Levi felt his face heat up and glanced back down to their project. Thank god they were not around anyone else. The hand on his knee squeezed gently. 

Now how were they going to get any more work done?

\-------

Erwin's apartment was becoming familiar. Today the fresh smell was mixed with something citrusy. Perhaps he had cleaned recently. He heard the door shut behind him. The offer from earlier had been on his mind the rest of the day. It had been a challenge to sit as his cubicle and watch the clock inch closer and closer to quitting time when he knew something would happen after work. 

Levi was already feeling awkward. Where did they go from here? He glanced down the hallway to where he assumed Erwin's bedroom was. Levi wasn't sure where to begin. Luckily, Erwin took the initiative and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Erwin had that soft look in his eyes again. His hand moved upward and across his neck to his cheek. His stomach flipped as Erwin's thumb rubbed under his cheekbone. It had been awhile since someone had touched him so gently. He expected Erwin to kiss him, but instead his hand moved down again and slipped his fingers under the collar of his work jacket. "You should take this off." 

Suggestions worked well with Levi, and he shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. Erwin lifted it from him and placed it on a hook by the door along with his own. Erwin's shoulders seemed tense. 

"Do you want a drink?" Erwin's voice was confident, but Levi could tell that he was nervous. It had probably been a long while since he had someone in his home whom he had romantic intentions with. 

"Sure." Levi decided to humor him. He watched as Erwin left to fetch them something to drink. Why didn't they just go at it already? He'd been waiting for awhile now, and Erwin basically gave him the green light. What was stopping him from immediately jumping him? Erwin returned with two uncapped beers and handed one of the cold bottles to Levi. 

"Here. It's that kind we had at the bar. You seemed to like it." Erwin offered a smile. They were standing close. He must have gotten the beer specifically for Levi, since he didn't like the taste of it himself. 

"I think I would have liked anything at that point." He extended an arm to clink their bottles together and lifted to take a pull from the beer. 

Erwin followed suit, tilting his bottle up. Levi watched his throat work as he took a drink. The drinks were more a formality. Levi wasn't known for his patience. He licked his lips. He knew just where he wanted to start. He set his bottle on the nearby end table, then took Erwin's from his hand and placed it there as well. From the way Erwin's eyelids lowered, he seemed to know what was coming next. 

His hands reached for the collar of Erwin's shirt and he pulled down, mouth landing on his neck. After a quick peck with his lips, he began placing open mouthed kisses along his skin. Levi breathed in deeply.

Ah there was that scent again. Erwin smelled clean, with a trace of the cologne that he recognized from his coat. Levi let out a long breath and inhaled again. Did he spritz it on his neck to draw him in? 

Levi's fingers undid the first few buttons of Erwin's collar, which was buttoned much too high in his opinion. Once he was below shirt line, he added teeth to the mix. Erwin flinched and inhaled when he sucked and bit, pinching and bruising his skin. Maybe it was still residual jealousy over the ring, but he wanted to mark him. He wanted Erwin to look in the mirror tomorrow and trace over the dark spots with his fingertips and worry about how he would cover them up-

His train of thought was cut short when Erwin's hand took his hip and guided them backward. Levi's feet moved until his back hit the nearest wall. He looked up to catch his expression. Erwin was looming over him, face flushed and eyes already glazed over. 

Levi snorted in amusement and the corner of his lip ticked up. "Turned on already? All I did was bite your neck a little." Levi's hands wandered around Erwin's waist and then to his chest, undoing the rest of his shirt. 

Erwin licked his lips. "It's been awhile." 

Oh yeah. Erwin had a dry spell that spanned a couple years. Did that mean he was extra sensitive or something? Levi hooked his fingers in Erwin's belt loops and tugged him closer, bringing them flush together. He felt Erwin's erection through his pants against his middle. "Holy shit." Levi let out a single laugh when he felt Erwin's hips move minutely. He pulled on his belt loops again to realign them, rolling his hips up to meet Erwin's. Erwin let out a controlled breath as they rubbed together. "You gonna jizz in your pants or something? I didn't think men in their fifties did that." 

"Thirties, and shut up." Levi felt a little guilty for teasing him when his voice sounded so strained. 

It was quite a compliment that Erwin was already hard, not that Levi was far behind him. It was Erwin's turn on his neck and Levi tilted his head to the side to encourage him. Erwin's mouth was soft, but he could already feel the scratch of his five o'clock shadow. One handedly, Erwin undid the rest of Levi's shirt, then reached for his belt. 

They were moving fast, but Levi found nothing to complain about when the man dropped to his knees. Erwin's hot glance upward as he tugged down his pants was more than enough to get his blood flowing. His hands moved to Erwin's head as a tentative kiss was placed over his boxers. Although he had made fun of Erwin getting so worked up moments earlier, Levi was growing impatient. He pushed on the blond's head and rolled his hips outward to rub his clothed cock against Erwin's lips and cheek. "You gonna suck me or what?" 

Erwin chuckled deep and low as Levi gathered a fistful of golden hair "I didn't realize how grabby you are." He pulled down his boxers and Levi immediately loosened his hold. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing." 

He trailed off when he eyed Levi's bare cock. Erwin was hesitating, but Levi couldn't quite read the look in his eye. They had been progressing at a quick pace and it slowed down here. It dawned on him that for all of his confidence, maybe Erwin hadn't done anything with a guy before. He was married to a woman before this, and who knew if he even knew how to blow anyone.

Levi wanted to give him an out if this was too much. He was trying to work on being nicer to people, and this was a good opportunity to practice. He cleared his throat. "You know, if you want to do this another time-" Erwin licked his lips and wrapped a hand around the base, holding him steady. "It would be okay if- Holy shit!"

Levi cursed as Erwin engulfed him whole, down to the root. Pleasure burned down his spine as Erwin rose and repeated the action. The air was swept from his lungs when Erwin pulled back, drawing in to hollow out his cheeks. 

So maybe he did have some experience. 

It was easy sink his hands back into Erwin's hair as his head bobbed. Levi's head tilted back against the wall and he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to manage himself. It was hard to focus when Erwin's hot mouth slid along his dick. His big, blond, A-type boss was on his knees with a mouthful of cock. It was a power rush to have Erwin like this. 

Erwin pulled back for a breather and Levi finally looked down to see those clear blue eyes were locked into him, watching him. "Fuck." Levi breathed out, his voice raspy. Erwin's hand jerked him once before Levi pushed it away, taking a hold of his own cock. He kept Erwin's head in place as he wetly tapped the side of his cheek with his dick. Erwin's face grew red. "You like sucking cock?" Levi asked in a growl, watching Erwin nod and smear his precome over his own skin. 

Erwin opened his mouth and reached for his erection again, but Levi held it away. "No hands." Levi smirked at his own joke once more. He gasped when he felt Erwin pinch his hip. Erwin kept his hand balled in a fist at his side, illustrating his restraint as he took in Levi's cock again. 

Levi took a moment to shrug out of the rest of his shirt, murmuring "too hot" as he let it fall to the floor. He was burning up. Jesus Christ could Erwin suck dick. He had his tongue pressed along the sensitive skin underside and used just the right amount of pressure when he drew back. Every once in awhile he would swirl his tongue over the tip, collecting his precome to swallow down. 

It was still a surprise how submissive Erwin was being. With his command in the workplace, Levi didn't think he would be like this. He couldn't help wonder what he would be like in bed. The thought of fucking Erwin Smith into a mattress made Levi's hips twitch up into his mouth. "Erwin." He hissed, causing those blue eyes to flick up again. "I'm gonna fuck you." 

He saw surprise flash across Erwin's expression, but there was no refusal. Levi watched him reach down to undo his own pants. Was he that turned on by the idea that he was going to jerk off? With half lidded eyes, Levi watched as Erwin opened up his pants and pulled out his erection. 

_Holy shit._

_Holy shit his cock was huge._

Levi felt his lips curve in a smile around his cock. Erwin was gazing up at him with a satisfied gleam in his eye, but Levi couldn't pull his eyes away from his dick. Erwin's hand was moving slowly as he stroked, squeezing when he reached the thick leaking head of his cock. Levi quickly back pedaled and his plans to fuck him were tossed out the window. Now he wanted to ride him. "Fuuuck..." He groaned when Erwin gave a solid suck. Levi was getting close to coming. Erwin's breathing grew labored, his breath drawing in heavily through his nose. Again, Levi decided to throw him a bone and attempt to be kind. "Ohh shit, I'm gonna come in a minute." He panted, fingers combing through Erwin's hair and clenching when he felt tongue just under the ridge of his cock. "Spit or swallow?"

Erwin pulled off completely. "Come on my face." His voice was firm, much less of a request and more of a command. The shamelessness of it made his cock pulse. Levi's free hand immediately wrapped around his own dick, pumping quickly as he followed Erwin's order. 

"Fuck fuck _fuuuuuck_..." Levi's jaw clenched and his hand flew over his cock as he reached his peak, Erwin's upturned face catching his come. "Holy shit." He gasped as the last bit landed across Erwin's nose. Levi's legs felt boneless, so he leaned against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. His hand lazily carded through Erwin's hair. Thank god his aim was decent and he didn't get any in his eye or something. 

After taking a moment for himself, he cracked open his eyes to look down again. "Erwin, Jesus..." Levi had caught him wiping off his semen and bringing it to his mouth, sucking his fingers clean. While it was kind of gross to watch him eat it up, it was also pretty hot, especially since he was still jerking his cock while doing it. Erwin Smith, who didn't like the taste of beer, loved the taste of his come. 

Levi watched and waited patiently until Erwin was done before clearing his throat. "So uh, we can continue if you want." 

Erwin licked off his thumb as he stood. "Sure, let's go to the bedroom." He flashed him a quick smile. Another bad joke was coming up. "I'm surprised you think you can get it up again." Levi was surprised that Erwin made a joke while licking the last traces of come from his fingers. Shameless. 

"To be honest, I'm only about half sure that I can get it up again." Levi spoke as he followed Erwin down the hall. "Where'd you learn to suck dick like that? I thought you were straight."

"I just sucked you off and you called me straight." Erwin deadpanned, allowing Levi in his bedroom. 

Levi shrugged and glanced over his room. Much like his living room, it was tidy and modern. The color scheme was similar to the living room. Neutral colors and a simple style. Levi appreciated the made bed and the open, organized closet. 

"It was in college." Erwin answered him and Levi raised an eyebrow. Erwin sucked dick in college? He imagined a younger version of the blond. 

"What else did you learn in college?" Levi asked, sitting on the edge of his bed. He tugged on Erwin's pants, helping him pull them the rest of the way off. 

"I didn't go further than that." 

_Oh_. Levi glanced up to check on Erwin. He didn't seem any less confident than before, or any less turned on. "That's fine." With Erwin standing in front of him, it made it easy to run his fingers along his hips, teasing instead of touching his erection. "Do you have lube?"

Erwin stretched to the side in order to reach the bedside table, seemingly unwilling to move from his spot in front of Levi. He held the tube out to Levi, but he waved a hand in refusal. "I think I want to ride this." He squeezed Erwin's cock, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Levi couldn't close his fingers around his girth. His mouth grew dry. 

He could hear a smile in Erwin's voice as he stroked him slowly. "Do you? You said earlier that you wanted to fuck me." 

"Have you seen your own dick?" Levi answered, earning a chuckle. "Look at this." He waved Erwin's erection in the air for emphasis. His thumb swept over the tip, spreading precome. The chuckle died in Erwin's throat. Levi appreciated how responsive he was. "Get on the bed. I'm gonna ride your cock." 

Erwin moved onto the bed to lay on his back. With one hand it would be hard to open the lube, so Levi took it upon himself to uncap the bottle. He took Erwin's hand and squeezed some onto his fingers. Although he hadn't had penetrative gay sex before, Erwin didn't need a lot of direction. 

Levi straddled his hips and and took the bottle of lubrication to pour some out to slick Erwin's cock. He felt Erwin's hand on his ass, and his fingers dipped inward to rub along his crack. Levi gave Erwin's cock a heavy pull as a finger slipped inside him. The first one was never too bad, but he let Erwin take his time and stretch him. It had been a long while since he'd been taken, so he probably needed stretched out well. Erwin's hand moved as he drew back, leisurely fucked him with his fingers. Eventually he added a second and Levi hissed. 

"You alright?" Erwin asked and Levi caught his eyes. A thick eyebrow was raised in concern. How sweet. 

"Yeah I'm fine. Feels nice." Levi didn't mind a little pain, and Erwin's slick fingers felt good. "Crook your fingers a bit- fuck, there it is-" Levi's voice cut out when he found his prostate with minimal direction. Erwin was inexperienced, but apparently not clueless. He squeezed down on his fingers and he felt a gush of precome against his thumb. Erwin bit his lower lip when Levi did it again. Was he thinking about fucking him? Levi found his cock quickly getting hard again. 

"Am I tight?" Erwin licked his lips and nodded in reply to Levi's dirty talk. He leaned in, his fist next to Erwin's head to keep his balance. Levi squeezed his fingers again. "Gimmie another. Stretch me open." Erwin slipped in a third finger and spread them. Levi was growing impatient again. He wanted it now. 

"Okay, come on." He shifted and Erwin took the hint and removed his hand. Levi held his cock upright and positioned himself over it. Erwin's hand moved to his hip, rubbing idly. Levi glanced up to watch him again. He wanted to see Erwin's expression as he rode him. 

He sunk down and watched Erwin's eyes slide closed. His only hand clutched at Levi's hip and he watched him breathe out steadily as he slid down. "Fuck." Levi took a moment to rest as he bottomed out on Erwin's cock. He was _thick_. Thank god they took time to prepare for it. 

"It's a tight fit." Erwin's voice had grown gravely. Levi wanted to hear more in that tone. "You alright?" 

"Yeah I'm fine. If was too much I would let you know." Levi gave his own cock a couple tugs to get himself fully hard again. After a moment, Levi slowly rolled his hips. He watched as Erwin's lips parted in a gasp. Fucking shit he looked good. His blond hair was a mess, face flushed, shirt open and framing his body. Levi ground against him again and it brought forth a small groan. 

_"Levi."_

Oh god the way he said his name went right to his cock. His voice sounded low and broken. Erwin's hand squeezed his hip and he began to move up, meeting Levi's small movements. As he got into a rhythm, Levi took notice of Erwin's body. He used both hands to run along his torso appreciatively. The evidence of his workout routine was etched into his body. Once his fingers reached his chest, he tweaked both nipples simultaneously. Erwin's hips jolted up. 

"God, Levi." Everytime Erwin said his name, Levi rode down a little harder. Erwin's cock was thick and long. If he leaned back he'd get just the right angle. 

"Fuck. Fuck yes, yeah that's it." Both of Levi's palms lay flat on the bed as he arched back, allowing the big head of Erwin's cock to graze his prostate. His jaw hung open as he worked his hips up and down. Erwin's hand wrapped around his cock. 

"Yeah that's it. Ride my cock." Erwin murmured, eyes dark. He was right, Erwin was the type to like dirty talk. Levi watched his gaze flick down, watching his cock as he pumped it in his hand. Levi spread his knees wider, encouraging Erwin to watch and let his obscene mouth run. "Harder, fuck yourself on my cock." 

"Shit, Erwin-" Levi groaned and drove himself down harder as Erwin twisted his hand while stroking. A sheen of sweat covered his skin, and Levi felt gross, but he wasn't about to stop. Not when Erwin's dick was brushing his prostate and when the man below him was moaning. Erwin's hand moved to his hip again and began to pull him down as he moved up. Levi cursed as Erwin's grip changed the angle and hit his spot dead on. 

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't remember that _boy's_ name." Erwin growled. Holy fuck. Levi gripped the sheets. So he had a jealous streak too? It was well masked with neutral expressions until now. He had Erwin at a basal level. It was hot as hell. The pace upped as Erwin bounced him in his lap, controlling the speed. 

Levi had wanted to take this a lot slower. He wanted to get to know Erwin's likes and dislikes, wanted to get to know his body, but this was lust. He needed to come while getting pounded by Erwin's cock. 

"God- Erwin fuck! I'm gonna come soon. Fuck me fuck me- Ahhh shit-" Levi reached down to take a hold of his own cock and gave a couple jerks before coming with a hiss. He kept his eyes open through his orgasm, watching as Erwin's eyes remained glued to his cock, licking his lips and groaning as Levi came across his chest and stomach. 

"You wanna taste it?" Levi asked, panting. Erwin nodded his head, eyes glazed over. He was still coming down from the high, but he managed to keep moving, wanting to work Erwin though his pleasure. Levi ran a finger across the sticky mess on his chest and brought it to Erwin's mouth. The vibration from Erwin's loud moan went down his spine and Levi felt his hips buck up desperately a couple more times before he stilled completely. 

Levi grunted as he lifted himself off and rolled to the side, collapsing bonelessly onto the bed. 

"Phew." Erwin breathed out a sigh, his head lolling to the side to give Levi a lazy smile. "I've been wanting to do that for awhile." 

"Yeah?" Levi replied offering a tiny upturn of his lips. He was unwilling to admit he had jerked off to the idea before. Maybe someday he would let him know. He glanced down to Erwin's splattered chest. "Got anything for that?" 

"Yeah." Erwin's voice sounded tired. Levi felt satisfied. He leaned to the side and grabbed a couple tissues in order to clean up both of them. 

"You should stay over." Erwin suggested, glancing to him hopefully. Levi replied with a huffed out laugh. 

"I figured I would stay over. You're making me breakfast. I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to move tomorrow." Levi was half joking. He knew he would be sore tomorrow. 

"Mmm. That's fine." Erwin lifted the blanket from under them and covered them both. "It's still early, so maybe we can take a nap."

"Sure." Erwin was ready for a nap, but Levi wouldn't mind sleeping for longer. He hadn't had sex that was this exhausting in a long time. His thighs were burning from lifting himself up and down so many times. He leaned back on the pillow and closed his eyes, shifting closer when he felt an arm snake around his middle. There was a few moments of quiet before Erwin spoke. 

"We haven't kissed." 

Levi's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"We haven't kissed." Erwin repeated, a laugh in his voice. 

"I swear I kissed you." Levi frowned and turned in his arm to meet his eyes. 

"No, just my neck. And those weren't kisses. They were more like bites." Erwin's eyes were soft as he gazed down at him. 

"Well, do you want a kiss?" Levi asked, raising his brow expectantly. 

"That would be nice, yes." 

Levi licked his lips and hooked an arm around his neck, tugging him down. Finally, he felt Erwin's lips. Although they had just had sex, the simple affection made Levi's heart jump in his throat. The bed felt like it was floating. Erwin hummed against his mouth and Levi was a mile high.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! This chapter is a little slower than the last few. Thanks Chhharl for beta reading this for me!

Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. 

  Where the hell was his phone? Levi opened his eyes and blindly reached to the side in the dark, groping at the bedside table to find nothing. Where were his pants? He leaned over the side of the bed, grabbing his discarded pants and rummaging through the pocket to find his phone. Why the hell was his phone buzzing at this hour? He laid back on the bed and looked at the screen. It was 1am and Eren had sent him a text.   
   
 Levi glanced to the side to Erwin. His back was facing him, blond hair askew on the pillow. Strangely, he was still wearing that shirt from earlier. 

  His thumb tapped the message Eren sent and an image loaded. Levi sighed deeply. There was an image of Eren in bed, shirtless and giving a smirk to the camera. Jean was next to him, half covered by a white sheet and asleep. So Eren got laid. Okay. He didn't give a shit. A message came shortly after.   
   
  _Bet you're regretting it now! -EJ_  

 Levi rolled his eyes. Juvenile. He sent him an emoticon in return, a thumbs up, then proceeded to shut down his phone completely. No more texts tonight, it was 1am. He was too pissed and tired to deal with this.  

 Wait, so if they just finished did that mean he and Erwin were fooling around at the same time? Ugh. Levi didn't even want to think about that. It was weird on a couple of different levels. 

  Jean was an idiot, but an all around good person. Levi had a feeling that the guy had a thing for Eren for awhile now. They always bickered, but it looked like a weird type of flirting since Jean did it with a flushed face and a half smile. It was pretty fucking stupid to send a goddamn text at in the middle of the night, let alone a spiteful one. He thought after a couple weeks Eren's temper would have cooled off some but apparently not. Still hated him. 

  He turned over again, wincing as his legs shifted. Maybe he was getting old or something, his muscles were still sore as hell after one round of sex. Really fucking good sex, actually. Levi's eyes roamed over Erwin's back in the dark, watching his shoulders rise and lower with his breathing steady and deep. Although he was strangely comfortable around Erwin after knowing him such a short period, it was still odd to be in someone else's bed for the first time. The sheets were softer than his own, the bed was bigger. It was still sinking in that they had sex. It went so quickly, now that he thought about it. Next time he would make sure they went slow. Levi wanted to learn his body, figure out sensitive spots as well as spots that he didn't like and to keep away from. 

  One thing he wondered about were his scars. Erwin had some from the wreck he assumed, but Levi wasn't focused on that last night. He ran his hands all over his front, but didn't pay attention to the bumps and ridges on his skin. It was hard to focus on anything other than the cock in his ass at the time, but Levi wanted to really look at him. It was hard to do that now in the dark when Erwin was covered by a shirt and a blanket. 

  His arm snuck around Erwin's middle from behind and he moved in close. The room was cool, and the blond was pleasantly warm. Levi aligned himself to press against Erwin's body fully, soaking up his heat. His knees pressed against the back of Erwin's thighs and his nose touched between his shoulder blades. Even in bed he was reminded of the height difference between them. With a heat source in front of him, it was easy for Levi to fall back asleep.  

 ----  
   
 When Levi awoke Erwin was gone. His stomach sank and he sat up in bed, trying to piece together what was going on. His first thought was grim. Did Erwin regret last night? He reached for his phone and turned it on, intending to call and figure out where he was and chew him out for ditching him. As soon as his phone booted up, a text from Erwin came through. 

   _Grabbing coffee. If you wake up without me I'll be back soon! -ES_

  The ball of anxiety in his stomach dissipated. The time stamp read 9:18, seven minutes ago. Levi tapped out a reply. 

   _A mocha frappe sounds good. I haven't had one in awhile. -LA_

  He stretched out on the bed, groaning as his thigh muscles burned. It had been a long time since he had last bottomed and he was unused to the soreness that came with it. For having one arm, Erwin was damn good in bed and maneuvered well. His low voice echoed in Levi's head.  

  _"Come on my face."_

   _Harder, fuck yourself on my cock."_

_"I'm going to fuck you until you can't remember that boy's name."_  
   
 Holy shit Erwin had a dirty mouth, and that jealous streak was surprisingly sexy. Erwin did a good job of acting neutral and calm, but deep down he was jealous. That was interesting, since Levi had only seen that side of him in bed. There were several times Erwin could have been a jealous asshole, like when he watched the argument or after the breakup, but he was a master of controlling his emotion. It was appreciated. Heat crept up his neck as he thought about what was said last night. He didn't expect Erwin to be so shameless, but he loved it. The way he dropped to his knees, how he adoringly sucked him off...Levi abruptly sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. He needed to get up and distract himself before he got a boner. 

  Erwin's room was minimally decorated, but there were a few things on his oak dresser. The man was gone, so it was time to snoop around a little. There was a clear glass bottle of cologne, and once he took a whiff Levi immediately recognized that it was Erwin's usual. He may have to confiscate a small sample for private use. Next to the bottle was something that made Levi want to hurl. A bolo tie with a turquoise stone center. He picked it up to look it over, his nose wrinkled in disgust. What the fuck was this. Did Erwin think he some fucking cowboy or something? Levi hadn't seen anyone under seventy years old wear a god damn bolo tie. He prayed it was a sentimental gift of some kind. Thank god he never saw him wearing it.   
   
 The next thing he picked up was a framed picture of a younger Erwin (from his college days judging by his shirt with Greek letters on it) with the arm of some big nosed scruffy guy slung over his shoulder. Was this that person on Facebook that liked all of Erwin's stuff? Levi couldn't help but wonder if he was the college experience Erwin mentioned last night. 

  The last thing he noticed was a small black box. A ring box. Levi thumbed along the seam before flipping it open. A single gleaming gold ring lay inside and Levi recognized it as Erwin's. He spent so much time staring at it on his finger he should know damn well what it looked like. For some reason he was expecting a thinner more feminine band, but of course her ring wouldn't be here.  

 The intense anger and jealousy he had felt before was near gone. Now he just felt concerned. Was Erwin truly over her? He didn't seem like he was completely done mourning, but would he ever be? The ring was off, and that was a solid first step. Levi wanted to know who she was, but he felt like he couldn't ask. Again, he would leave that to Erwin to decide when to share instead of ripping it out of him. 

 It would be strange to be walk around the place in the nude, so Levi found Erwin's robe hanging on the back of the door. It was white and fluffy, but long. It reached above his ankles, while on Erwin it would probably fall above his knees. The blond was too damn tall.  

 The apartment was nice, there must be an in-unit washing machine. He gathered their scattered dirty clothes and quickly found the machine, then dumped some detergent in and ran it for the long setting.   
   
 In the living room he found the two almost full beer bottles still on the table from when Erwin offered him a drink. He poured them into the sink and the tossed them in the recycling bin. Thankfully the rest of Erwin's house was relatively tidy, at least compared to his own immaculate apartment. 

  The front door opened and Levi looked up from where he had been reading on the couch, using a bookmark to save his place in one of Erwin's architecture books. He watched as Erwin held the door open with his foot and bent to retrieve the drink caddy he had to momentarily set down. It looked like he had a routine for carrying things inside. 

  Erwin's eyes softened when they landed on Levi. "Good morning!" He beamed. Erwin was alert and chipper as ever. Under normal circumstances Levi would be annoyed by a morning person, but Erwin was beginning to become an exception to everything. Levi gave a small upturn of his lips in return.  

 "Good morning." Levi replied as he took the blended drink from the caddy that Erwin held out for him.

  "I hope you weren't startled to wake up alone. I'm an early riser and I'm out of coffee." Erwin looked apologetic. It was then that Levi noticed a bag tucked under his elbow.  

 Levi waved a hand as he took a sip of his drink. "I wasn't worried. What's in the bag?" He asked, stomach growling at the prospect of food.  "Muffins. I hope that's good. I got a blueberry and a raspberry one." Erwin took a seat next to him and placed everything in his lap. Levi noticed Erwin looking at him, and when he rose an eyebrow Erwin leaned in for a quick peck to his lips. How cute. 

 Erwin pulled back and Levi's eyes widened when he noticed the side of his neck. "Holy shit, you went out with that?"

  "Went out with what?" Erwin sent him a confused glance.   
   
 "Your neck." Levi chuckled and pointed, causing Erwin to clap a hand over the side of his neck. "That's hilarious." 

  Erwin deposited the bag of baked goods on the couch and rushed off to the bathroom. Levi heard a groan from the other room and covered his mouth to try and contain his laughter. "I forgot about your teeth." Erwin sounded distraught.  

 "At least it's only one mark, quit shitting your pants." Levi commented, taking the raspberry muffin out of the bag and peeling off the wrapper. It was only one big hickey, clearly visible above his collar. 

 When Erwin emerged he was still holding the side of his neck and to Levi's surprise his face was flushed. Erwin Smith was blushing, a rare sight indeed. Levi's lip curled up in amusement at the flustered expression. "You can't leave them there anymore. We're professionals, Levi." Erwin's voice was stressed. 

 "Whoops." Levi couldn't help the smirk tugging at his lips. This was quite an accomplishment. Erwin looked embarrassed and a little irritated actually.  

 "But seriously, I can't have these at work. People are going to ask if I've been mauled by a large animal of some kind. " He sent Levi a frown. Was that his lower lip sticking out in a pout?  

 "Got it. We don't want rumors to spread about your sexy adventures with wild animals. I'll leave them lower next time." He twitched an eyebrow up suggestively.  

 Erwin rolled his eyes, but Levi saw a smile break. "I suppose you'll have to." Erwin looked over at him again, eyes flicking up and down. "Is that my robe?"  
   
 Levi shrugged. "Yeah. So? My clothes are in the wash." He took a bite of the muffin.  

 "It's becoming a habit for you to wear my clothes hm?" Erwin had a bright look in his eyes which Levi had come to figure out that he thought what he said was funny.   
   
 "Gonna complain about it?" 

 "No, I kind of like it." Erwin smiled around his coffee cup. "Are you wearing anything under there?"

  "My clothes are in the wash, so obviously no." Erwin was a dirty fuck. "And I tossed yours out the window." He added for good measure to piss him off. It didn't seem to work since that smile of Erwin's stuck. His muffin had been finished and Levi was ready to get up.  

 "I'm gonna shower." Levi announced as he stood, depositing the wrapper in a small waste bin by the couch. He left for the bathroom, knowing Erwin was watching him go.

  Erwin's bathroom was clean (thank god) and sparsely decorated like the rest of his home. The shower had a modern removable head and a glass door. After finding a towel, he turned on the water and glanced over his shoulder. Levi had deliberately left the bathroom door open as an invitation, let's see if Erwin took the bait.   
   
 He opened the shower and stepped under the spray, keeping an eye on the door of the bathroom the entire time. Did he need to verbally tell him to get his ass in here?  

 The glass had started to fog when Levi spotted Erwin in the doorway to the bathroom. Apparently he found his balls. Levi wiped at the glass to get a better view. "Nice of you to join me." He murmured watching as Erwin looked up and down his body. Erwin had seen him naked before, but it was still new. So new that he had yet to see the blond fully nude. His heart knocked against his chest as he waited for Erwin to undress. 

 Levi turned halfway to grab the shampoo but kept his gaze on Erwin. He seemed to be hesitating. "You gonna come in?" Levi asked as he read the back of the pump shampoo bottle to feign disinterest, eyes slipping over again once Erwin began to undress. 

 Erwin reached for his belt first and took off his pants and underwear. He was taking his time. fiddled with his boxers and then with his socks. Levi began from the bottom as he studied him. He had thick thighs which were the result of climbing all of those stairs every day. Lastly Erwin began to unbutton his shirt. Levi carefully examined his torso as it was revealed. There was a small scar by his hip, was that from an appendix surgery? He could see a bit of his chest, but not his arm yet.

While Levi normally wouldn't complain about Erwin taking his shirt off slowly, but there was something odd about all of this. Erwin's head was dipped down, eyes staring blankly at the floor. His hand hesitated on the collar of his shirt and it dawned on Levi that he may haven't been fully undressed in front of someone since the accident. Something in Levi's chest twisted. 

As if taking off a bandaid, Erwin ripped off the rest of his shirt and let it fall to the floor. Levi kept his eyes on Erwin's face instead of automatically looking at his stump of an arm. It was so unusual to see Erwin nervous and vulnerable. He hadn't said anything since he came in the bathroom. 

"Come in." Levi jerked his chin and opened the shower door. Erwin stepped inside and Levi handed him the shower head. He had yet to meet Levi's eyes. Blond eyebrows dipped down in confusion as he took the shower head. 

"How am I-"

"I want to, turn around." 

Erwin turned and Levi grabbed the soap and began with his back. He felt tense, but Levi moved the soap over his skin. "Arm up." He tapped his left arm to wash underneath. Now the right. Finally, Levi allowed himself to look at his right arm. It honestly wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. 

His arm reached down to just above where his elbow would be. A long pale scar dipped into the skin along the bottom, a lump of bone and muscle covered by skin protruded at the end. Half of his arm was gone, so the muscle would have had to reconnect in the middle. It still looked alien, odd to not see more limb with a hand at the base, but Levi knew normalcy would come with time. Right now the strangest thing was Erwin and how uncomfortable he looked. His shoulders were tight and his head was bowed. 

There were a few white knick mark scars near his shoulder, probably from broken glass, but otherwise Erwin's skin wasn't marred. His soapy hands started there, slowly moving toward the half arm.

"I'm sorry if it's weird." He heard Erwin blurt. 

Levi kept quiet as he ran both hands along his arm, gently circling his palm around the blunt end. It _was_ weird, so he wasn't going to lie it and say it wasn't, but it wasn't disgusting or anything. 

"It's not a big deal." Levi took his hands away and focused on giving him a little massage, thumbs pressing into his shoulders and moving inward to make little circles down his spine. Slowly, he felt Erwin's muscles loosen up under his fingers. "Turn around." 

Erwin turned and Levi saw a couple more scars along his front, more little ones near his arm, and another on his left side. What exactly happened in the crash? Levi could guess. The small marks were most likely from glass, perhaps the one on his side was from the car door? 

Levi's eyes flicked up to find Erwin looking at him. His expression was cool, unreadable, masked. 

"Rinse your back." Erwin followed his direction and lifted the shower head behind him giving Levi space to wash his front. He let his hands run over Erwin's chest and middle. When Erwin looked down at him again, Levi reached low between his legs and quickly washed his dick, eyebrows jumping once playfully but the rest of his expression deadpan. 

"Levi, I swear to god." Erwin's lips edged upward and Levi felt accomplished. The serious atmosphere was lifting. 

Levi took some shampoo in his hand. "Bend over." To his surprise, Erwin turned around and bent. "No you idiot." Levi gave Erwin's rear a light smack and Erwin turned around again with a smirk, leaning down so Levi could wash his hair. 

Showering together was intimate, but Levi wanted to. He saw a bit of Erwin that no one else saw. It made him feel warm. 

Levi rinsed his hair and then replaced the shower head, turning his back to him. "I think that's everything." He stated, now working on himself. "You can wash your own asshole."

Behind him, he heard a chuckle. "So crude." 

After a few minutes of washing himself with Erwin's help he left the shower, drying off and then handing Erwin his towel. 

"I know it's still morning," Erwin ran the towel through his hair. "But would you like to watch a movie or a show on Netflix or something?" 

"Sure." Honestly, Levi couldn't wait to see what was on his queue. He donned Erwin's robe again and fetched his clothes from the laundry, forcing Erwin to dart to his bedroom nude. 

Once dressed, he sat on the couch and figured out the remote. Netflix was opened and Levi flipped through the titles. "Mad Men. House of Cards. How It's Made. Twin Peaks... Glee? What the hell?" 

"It was an accident!" Erwin came out of the bedroom, his hand raised in the air as defense. "It was recommended and I watched one episode. Don't give me that look. It wasn't half bad."

"It's cheesy."

"Well, yes. Here, just turn on something." Erwin sat next to him and Levi clicked on Top Gear. 

Something felt off...Ah, his phone was in the bedroom. Levi stood and left momentarily to retrieve it. Should he tell Erwin about the picture?

Once his phone booted up, a text immediately came though. Eren. Levi sat on the couch again and grimaced as he opened it, expecting something stupid again.

_Sorry about the pic. It was dumb to send it to you. - EJ_

Eren was hot headed, but once he cooled down he usually ended up regretting a few things he said. 

_It's fine, but feel free to keep those sort of pictures to yourself. -LA_

That seemed kind of harsh. He sent a follow up text. 

_I'm happy things are going well for you. -LA_

"So Eren sent a picture to me last night." It felt weird to not tell him. 

"Oh?" Erwin kept his eyes on the television screen, expression neutral. Levi knew that he was keeping his jealousy under wraps. 

"Yeah, him and his roommate in bed. Probably after screwing." Levi watched Erwin carefully. 

"Hm. That's kind of rude, don't you think?" He glanced to Levi casually. Erwin was doing a great job of acting normal. Or maybe he wasn't as jealous as Levi thought. 

"Yeah, he thought so to. He apologized a minute ago." Levi looked down at his phone again. "He's not a bad kid, just immature sometimes."

"Be patient. I'm positive you two can be friends after a while." He looked back to the tv. 

Was he that obvious that he still cared about Eren in a strange way? He hadn't mentioned him since the breakup, but he still worried about him. Financially he wasn't stable, and he wondered how his job search was going. Was he going to enroll in classes for the spring semester? 

"Maybe." Levi shrugged. Once Eren stopped being pissed off at him off and on, he might try and contact him again. 

The conversation came to a close and Levi leaned into Erwin's comfortable couch. After a while Levi felt an arm around his shoulders and gave Erwin a look. He was staring at the television still, pretending that it wasn't a big deal. It was kind of cute, so Erwin let his arm rest there. 

"When should I leave?" Levi asked bluntly. 

Erwin tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Was he not clear enough? "This is your house, if you have stuff to do I can leave whenever, just let me know." It didn't bother Levi if Erwin wanted him to go sometime. 

"You can stay. I don't mind." Erwin offered a small smile. "I don't have much to do. Stay as long as you'd like. You can spend the night again, stay the weekend." 

"I'm not intruding?" 

"Never."

Levi rose an eyebrow. He was still tiptoeing around him, but again and again, Erwin was as showing him that he didn't have to. He didn't want him to. "You have nothing to do?"

"I have to water my fern and feed my goldfish, but that's all." Erwin jerked his thumb to the side to the small aquarium on the end table. There were a couple shiny goldfish swimming happily. 

"Alright." Levi leaned into his side to press into him, lips inching up in a very small smile. "I guess I'll stay."

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the three month wait! I hope the length of this chapter makes up for it some. Thanks Chhharl for beta reading for me!  
> Enjoy!

Erwin's bed was becoming familiar to him, not just when he was being pushed into it with passion, but it was something he looked forward to crawling into at the end of the day. The awkwardness from intruding in someone's home was turning into a different feeling. Comfort. Smooth sheets, soft blankets, the low murmur of Erwin's voice. 

"I may have to stay a little late at the office tomorrow. I have to make a call with a contractor in a different timezone." 

"That's fine." Levi let his head fall to the side on the pillow, lazily looking over at Erwin. The man was in pajamas and sitting up in bed, finger flicking over his tablet as he reviewed a document. 

"Really? It's fine? I've been accused of being a workaholic before." Erwin peered over at him, eyes looking glassy and tired. Lately he'd been pulling long shifts. His side of the project was more time consuming. 

Levi shrugged. "Me too. I'm notorious for being the last to leave." And maybe late on arrival, but that's besides the point. 

"I guess I'm going to take that notoriety from you tomorrow." Erwin set aside the tablet and plugged in his phone. It was only ten, but it felt later since it was getting darker earlier. 

"I just like to get things done." Levi propped himself up on an elbow, trying to keep from falling asleep already. Time with Erwin had been scarce lately, so he had taken to sleeping over a couple nights a week. At least he would get to see him before bed and briefly in the morning. 

"I saw that in your portfolio." Erwin offered a smile that faltered when fingers hooked into his glasses. Levi plucked them from his face and looked them over in the flickering television light, the only light source in the room. 

"Oh? How many other _portfolios_ did you look at?" Levi asked, raising a brow to indicate his double meaning. Joking of course, Erwin said he hadn't even looked at anyone before Levi-

"A couple, but none were considered seriously." Erwin's lips curved upward in amusement as he watched Levi scoff and slip the glasses on his own face. 

"So mine was the only one considered seriously?" He gave him a frown over the rim of the glasses. Did he really need to wear these while reading or was it just while reading in the dark?

"Well we _are_ working together now." The answer was vague and Levi's lower lip curled. 

"Who were the other applicants? I'll fight them-" 

"Levi. The analogy wasn't working. I'm only joking." Erwin smiled and chuckled. "To be honest, there was no one." 

Levi kept his sour face for a moment longer, voice flat. "So I got the job by default?" 

"Levi-"

"I'm just messing with you." Levi rolled his eyes and laid back down on the bed, a smile of his own lingering. Erwin was easy to mess with sometimes, it was endearing. He had to wonder if he had any siblings who picked on him. What was his family like? Levi already had a mental image of a Martha Stewart like mother and a clean cut father. 

Erwin cleared his throat to gain his attention again and to continue the conversation. "But seriously, I work a lot. I'm sorry-"

"I just said I do too. My job is my life." Levi sighed. He thought they talked about this on their first date. Meeting, whatever. They technically hadn't gone on a date yet. Not officially. "Erwin, not to be a dick, but work comes first. I worked from nothing to get here."

The smile returned and Erwin sat in silence for a moment, fixing an affectionate gaze on Levi. What was he thinking? Levi opened his mouth to ask when Erwin spoke first. 

"Who's your favorite architect?" 

That came out of nowhere. Levi stared at the ceiling. "My favorite modern architect is Bjarke Ingles, he makes interesting, unique designs. Geometric. Organic. Yours?"

"Tom Wright. His buildings are solid. They look like sailboats." Erwin turned off the television and settled more into bed. 

"Wow." Levi chuckled and stretched. "Unbelievable. I forgot you liked sailing." 

"Hm." There was a little smile on Erwin's face as he gazed at Levi, blue eyes looking silver in the low lighting. There was a silence that passed between them until Erwin spoke softly. "I'm glad I finally found someone who gets it."

Levi was glad it was dark, so maybe Erwin wouldn't be able to tell his face had grown hot. Erwin effortlessly said what was in his mind. "Yeah, same." Erwin seamlessly wove into Levi's life. Work, interests, and play meshed with ease. Without even trying they were on the same page. He wasn't the only one who thought so. 

"Goodnight." The bed shifted as Erwin leaned in for a kiss. 

\---

There was a photograph in Erwin's living room one shelf up from the photo of his late wife. Levi recognized it from Facebook a couple months ago. Erwin was on a boat, wind in his hair and a broad white smile stretching. Both sleeves rolled up to his forearms, sun kissed skin exposed. 

Erwin looked like he was happy, smiling at the camera with affection, having a great time. Levi wanted to see him like that too. 

"Hey." 

Erwin looked up from the couch from where he was reading the business section of the newspaper with a cup of decaf coffee lightened with extra cream. It was another evening where Erwin came home late and needed to unwind. "Hm?" He thinned his lips and took a sip of coffee. Erwin was a workaholic, but even Levi knew that everyone needed a break. 

"So we haven't gone on an actual official date yet." Levi knew his face must be flushing. This was ridiculous. They'd banged multiple times, but he was having trouble asking him out. 

"I suppose you're right." Erwin drawled, setting the paper down and leaning back against the couch to give Levi his full attention. That amused twitch of his lips let Levi know he found this amusing. "What would you suggest we do?"

"Well you have all these sailing pictures, so..." 

"So?" Erwin rested his temple on his fist, that smile spreading. He was messing with Levi on purpose. Not quite saying yes or no. Like there was the possibility of a negative answer. Levi guessed it was probably something he did while younger before the accident, so maybe not- "I haven't been sailing in years."

Was it something that he and his late wife did? "Did you forget how?" Levi asked, arms folded and chin lifted. 

"No, it's just kind of hard to do it with one hand." The smile stayed on Erwin's face. His expression told him that he like the idea, but his words were apprehensive. 

"Well we'll have three. Is that enough?" Levi ran a hand through his hair. 

"Probably. I'll reserve a boat for Saturday at the sound." 

\---

 

"Alright, so you hold this and I'll steer. Pull in when I tell you to."

"Okay."

The day was crisp, crystalline. The water was chilly and dark green, but the sky was white and clear. Levi held onto the end of the rope that Erwin directed him to handle. The sail was flapping in the wind and they were barely moving at all. 

"Okay so the wind is bad today. Gonna take awhile to get out. Unless I angle it like this..." 

Levi watched as Erwin tugged the rudder to the right. Nothing happened. He began to pump the rudder back and forth, forcefully moving the boat bit by bit. Levi was surprised that the boat was moving as Erwin heaved the rudder back and forth. While it wasn't huge just a two person boat, a widgeon he heard Erwin say, it was still impressive to see him turn it with just his arm. 

"Bring in the sail bit by bit as I turn. Keep it tight." The rope gathered in Levi's fingers, rough. It was easy to keep a grip. Levi glanced to Erwin but his sight was locked onto the front of the boat. His grip on the rudder was tight as he worked it. Although Erwin seemed happy to go sailing a couple days ago, there wasn't a smile now. Instead there was a crease in Erwin's forehead. 

"Does moving the rudder stick like that turn the boat?" Levi asked since they were just inching to the side. 

"It's called a tiller, and yes." Erwin replied, out of breath. "Wind technically propels the boat. We're facing the wind and it can't catch it in our sails since we're dead on." Erwin seemed a little tense. Their boat wouldn't capsize easy, but Levi imagined it would be stressful to sail with an inexperienced first mate and one arm. Their life jackets were large and firmly secured. Erwin continued. "Pull in the sails. Keep it tight, the wind should catch."

"Aye aye captain." Levi tugged on the rope that was attached to the bottom of the sail, glancing over his shoulder when he finished to find Erwin's eyes on him. 

"Commander. I like the sound of it better." Erwin flashed him a smile. Maybe he was easing up a little. That enthralled, excited expression from the photograph had been missing from the day altogether. Levi saw a hint of happiness now.

"Commander? Where's your fleet?"

"Out there somewhere." Erwin replied and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Whatever you say." 

"Wind is picking up, pull in more. It's going to switch soon." Erwin's hair ruffled with the breeze. 

"Yeah yeah, I got it."

"Pull in, pull in..."

Levi tugged on the rope to pull the canvas sail taut. The wind whirred by and the waves turned frenetic, white caps surging around them. The water chopped against itself, slapping along the side of the boat. 

"Levi, Levi watch out for the boom-"

Boom? Levi vaguely remembered Erwin telling him what that was an hour ago on the ride to the beach, but he didn't remember now. Not when there were fifty things to learn and memorise about boats and sailing. To Levi's misfortune, he didn't remember that the boom was a large metal beam, holding down the sail perpendicular to the mast. It swung as the wind changed direction, the force hitting him square in the back.  
The shock of cold water squeezed the air from his lungs, and after dipping underwater the vest pulled him toward the surface. Levi took a shuddering inhale. "Fuck!" He scrabbled to grip the side of the boat, pulling it down as he struggled to get up. A hand grabbed the back of the life jacket and hauled him upward to get back in the boat. 

"You alright?" Erwin's voice was heavy with concern. Levi's stomach clenched in discomfort. This was goddamn embarrassing. 

Levi’s brow sunk low, lips pulling thin. "Yeah. I'm fine." Erwin's eyes were on him and for a moment they held a look. There was a flicker of disappointment that Erwin quickly masked with a neutral look. The last thing he wanted was for Erwin to think of him as incompetent. This wasn't the happy Erwin in the picture, he was hiding worry and stress. 

Levi sighed and looked at the sail, throwing a wet hand to gesture in exasperation. "So this is the boom. Got it." 

The smile Erwin gave was tight. "We should head back." 

Levi's jaw stiffened. Since he couldn't memorize a million sailing terms and had an accident, Erwin wanted to head back? Okay, whatever. 

"You're wet. We should get you dried off." Erwin moved back to the tiller to steer the boat toward shore. Levi heaved another sigh, running a hand through his soaked hair. 

This was bullshit. Sailing was bullshit. Erwin's expectations were bullshit. 

"Levi..." Obviously he was doing a poor job at concealing his mood. 

"What?" He glanced back at Erwin, eyebrows raised. 

"I'm concerned about our safety." Erwin wore a frown as he pulled back on the tiller to change directions again. This time Levi was aware of the sail changing and the boom swinging freely. He ducked underneath. 

“We’re wearing life jackets, and what makes you think I'm helpless?" Levi picked his mind to try and find a memory where he needed rescued and found none. Why did Erwin feel this weird responsibility over him? “You know I can swim.” 

“It’s not about that. I have one arm.” 

“Erwin, you drive a car with one hand every day. Why do you think you can't do this?”

“That's different." Erwin's tone was serious, shoulders tensed. Levi was met with his shoulder as he looked away toward shore. Why the hell was he so worried? Was that even the issue here or was he just making something up in order to get the hell out of here? 

Levi held up his hands. “Look, if this is intruding on some memory you have with your late wife-” 

“Levi, that’s not-”

Levi talked over him. “That's not my intention. I’m not her. I just saw you liked sailing and thought it would be fun.” 

“That’s not it.” Erwin shook his head and slowly turned back, meeting Levi’s eyes for a brief moment before heaving a heavy breath and looking up at the water. "I don't think you're helpless, but with a lack of experience and when I'm like this-" Erwin waved his half of an arm for emphasis. "I don't want to risk our lives. If something happened I wouldn't be able to do much." 

Levi's pursed lips relaxed. Oh. His arms unfolded. So Erwin wasn't saying he wasn't good enough, it was the opposite. Erwin still wasn't confident _he_ could sail. 

"They didn't chop off your balls when they amputated your arm, did they?"

"Levi, I'm being serious. What if the boat capsized? I don't know if I could right it by myself." Erwin's big eyebrows bunched together and his chin rose as he focused on the sails, the top of the mast. 

“You wouldn't be by yourself. Do you think I’d just stand by and watch?” Levi’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head. Although Erwin the wedding ring was gone, there was still some emotional baggage left. If Erwin was worried about losing someone else, that wasn’t going to happen. "I’m not going anywhere.” Levi reached to place his hand over Erwin’s left on the tiller. Hesitantly, Erwin let go and Levi grasped onto the wood. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

“Keep it straight.” The wind was steady, and with the sails already tended to Erwin’s job was easy. He kept his hand in his lap. It wasn’t hard to keep the tiller steady. The wind wasn’t overly strong, and the rudder didn’t move too much. Several quiet minutes went by, and Levi kept an eye on Erwin, watching him steadily relax. The serious look from before was loosening up.

“This isn’t that hard.” Levi cleared his throat. “If one armed pirates could man a ship, you can sail a small boat."

"They were one legged, not one arm." There was a chuckle in Erwin’s voice. "And you look like a drowned rat, so your opinion is skewed." 

Levi rolled his eyes, but since Erwin was easing up again he let a small smile slip. 

It was interesting to see Erwin like this. Lately he had been working so hard and he always seemed to be a step ahead, even a little manipulative at times. Levi knew that Erwin didn't share his weaknesses with just anyone. 

Although Erwin wasn’t as stiff as before, he still wasn’t as carefree and happy like in the photograph. That was a goal for another trip. "Let's try again someday." Levi suggested, gently angling the boat toward shore. 

"Hmm. Someday."

\---

"Levi." 

Levi looked up from his computer screen to see Erwin gazing at him over his cubicle wall. There was a smile plastered on his face. Levi narrowed his eyes. Something was up. 

"What?" 

Erwin held up a black picture frame with a white piece of parchment inside. He was beaming. When Levi scanned the contents he groaned. 

"You framed it. I can't believe you actually framed it." 

"Framed what?" Hanji head popped up on her side of the divider and Levi stood to push her head back down. 

"Get down and stop being so loud, goddamn. And wash your hair it's greasy as shit." Levi reached for his hand sanitizer and looked back to the framed 'Love contract' that Erwin presented to him. Levi covered his mouth with his hand and shook his head, embarrassed for Erwin because he was fucking ridiculous. "You framed it." Levi repeated, heat rising to his face. " _It's framed._ " He felt torn between mortification and actually liking the sweet gesture. 

Erwin seemed so pleased with himself. Levi snatched the frame from Erwin's hand only to watch as he disappeared to open his satchel and retrieve an identical second frame which he rested on the divider. 

"Put that away. We agreed to it, but I don't want the whole office to know my personal life." Levi growled.

"They already do-"

" _Hanji shut up._ " Levi hissed, feeling his face grow even warmer as he looked around. Only a few people were looking their way and as soon as Levi sent a glare they were ducking down.

"I think it would be nice to display. One for work and one for home?" Erwin's eyebrow ticked up. 

He was making it sound like they lived together. Levi's eyes darted around the office once more to make sure everyone was engrossed in their own business before replying. "Sure. Now go back to your workspace and leave me alone." 

Erwin replaced his own copy in his bag and tapped the side of the cubicle in farewell. "I'll see you for lunch."

Levi didn't give a reply and waited until Erwin was safely back behind the door to his workspace before taking another look at the relationship disclosure. Signing it had been embarrassing, but Erwin said he would take it to HR for them both. 

In his hands was physical proof of their relationship. It wasn't anything like a marriage license or anything like that, but it still meant... something. Levi tucked it half behind his computer monitor. Enough to be out of the way and not noticeable, but enough showing that he could clearly see their signatures at the bottom. His own tight angular cursive next to Erwin's broader strokes. 

A line stood out to him. "Agree that both parties will behave professionally and appropriately at work." 

Levi had a feeling he was going to need to highlight that on Erwin's copy. 

\---

They had settled into a steady routine. Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday he would spend the night at Erwin's. It went without asking or offering. Erwin had placed a key in his hand and told him he was welcome anytime, and those were the days Levi deemed reasonable. 

Friday he had to stay late to finish the final touches on a draft for a side project, and Erwin was the first to get home. 

"I'm taking a shower." Levi announced as the door to Erwin's apartment closed with a click. It was another part of their routine. Erwin showered in the morning and Levi at night. 

"Alright, I'll order dinner when you get out!" He heard Erwin call from the bedroom. 

Levi made a beeline to the bathroom. All he wanted to do was relax and have a beer tonight. Then probably fool around a little. Erwin certainly liked it when he was ridden and Levi couldn't get enough of his dick. 

Levi undressed and turned on the water, stepping in once it was warm enough. With a sigh he scrubbed his hair with shampoo, eyes closed as he faced the spray of the shower. Something blunt bumped his middle but he ignored it as he rinsed off his hair. He reached for the soap and something rubbery poked into his side again. Levi frowned and turned-

_Jesus fucking Christ._

A dong. 

A fucking purple dong was suctioned to the wall of the shower. 

What the hell? Why the fuck was this left out, and here of all locations? Did Erwin use this to fuck himself? Levi bit his lower lip. 

Hot thighs pressed against the cold shower tile, back arched to keep his balance. Probably wouldn't be able to move much since he wouldn't be able to use his hand to brace on the shower door; he’d be using it to stroke his cock. Erwin would have to grind slowly without much leverage. 

Unless he didn’t give a shit about his cock. Just let it hang between his legs, leaking precome on the shower floor as he fucked himself hard- 

_Holy shit._

Levi’s hand was already traveling down on his own body. He had wanted to fuck Erwin from day one, but they hadn’t explored that yet. Not because lack of interest, but he was unsure of Erwin’s comfort level. It would be new to Erwin, and Levi didn't want to push him. Obviously he was much more comfortable with anal than Levi assumed. 

His cock throbbed in his hand at the thought of fucking him. Levi couldn't remember getting so hard so quickly before. How should he bring it up? Should he mention finding his dildo in the shower? Maybe he could try and bring it up over dinner or something. It wasn’t like Erwin to just leave things like this out-

Wait. Exactly. Levi’s breath caught in his throat. Erwin wasn’t the type to forget a sex toy in the shower. This was done intentionally. Erwin was sending him a message. _Fuck me_.

He was waiting in the bedroom. 

Erwin wanted it badly enough to send a message like this. He wanted Levi, wanted his cock-

Levi hurried through the rest of his shower at breakneck speed. 

With water still dripping down his body and only a towel slung around his waist Levi approached the bedroom and stood in the doorway. Erwin was facing away from him, laying on his stomach across the bed with a book in hand. The end of his arm propped him up as he read, a full glass of red wine in front of him on the bedside table. His bare feet hung off the end of the bed and he was already dressed for bed in loose gray sweatpants and a black cotton t-shirt. 

This had to be a setup. Erwin had positioned himself like this intentionally, Levi _knew_ it. 

Without preamble Levi stepped forward and joined him on the bed, tossing the bottle of lube he brought on the blanket. Erwin turned his head when he felt Levi’s knee dip into the mattress. Out of the corner of Levi’s vision, he caught a glimmer of a pearly smile from over Erwin’s shoulder. Levi swung his leg over Erwin’s, trapping both of his legs as he sat on the backs of his thighs. His fingers skimmed under the hem of Erwin’s shirt, hooking into the elastic of his sweatpants. 

"How was your shower Levi?" He heard a smile in Erwin’s voice. 

Levi didn’t answer. Instead he lifted and yanked down Erwin’s pants. Smooth bare skin, no underwear. 

"You left it out it on purpose, didn't you?" His voice was a growl as he grabbed two handfuls of his ass. He squeezed roughly. If Levi had any lingering doubts, they vanished when he felt Erwin's hips lift and press into his hands invitingly. 

"Left what out?" Erwin asked, that smile still present from over his shoulder. Levi didn't give an answer. Instead he played with his ass, smoothing his hands over with a feather soft touch and then palming outward. There was muscle from climbing the stairs daily, but it was soft and relaxed to the touch now. 

He used his thumbs to spread Erwin’s cheeks to take a peek, licking his lips at the sight of his hole. Levi glanced up to check on Erwin and saw his head was down now but his shoulders were still loose. It was Erwin's first time with an actual person. This area was extremely intimate and he needed to take it slow. 

Levi slid a thumb inward, pressing against the outside and rubbed. His eyes lifted upward to make sure Erwin was still doing okay. Levi still couldn't see his face, but he could see his hand on the book. His fingers were clenched. 

"Erwin."

"Levi-" The smile in his tone was gone. He already sounded hoarse. His voice went straight to Levi's cock. Levi licked his index finger before pressing inside, just the smallest amount to test-

Fuck he was tight. It made him ache to think about how he would feel around his cock. Levi bit his lower lip when Erwin squeezed down on his finger. A little strange though. Shouldn't he be already loose from fucking himself in the shower? He removed his fingertip. Levi had to make sure that Erwin wasn't just bluffing, that he wanted this and was sure of it. "When did you shower last?" 

"Half an hour ago." 

Levi leaned down and placed a lingering kiss to Erwin's tailbone, trailing downward. "Have you used it before?" 

"Yes." 

So Erwin had experienced some sort of anal experience before but hadn't used the toy today. Good to know. Levi smoothed over Erwin's ass, his chin dipping as he pressed a kiss to his opening. It was satisfying to hear a quick intake of breath from Erwin. He slowly licked, listening closely for any signs of a reaction. He heard a fluttering of pages and a thud. 

Levi looked up to see the book on the floor and Erwin's knuckles white in the bedsheet. That intense huh? Levi liked to see Erwin on the edge of control. Erwins hips were already gyrating into the mattress, seeking stimulation. Levi pushed his hands against his thighs. 

"Up. Lift up." Levi moved away for a moment to allow Erwin to rearrange. It probably wasn't incredibly comfortable for Erwin to be on his knees with his shoulders and head bunched in the blankets, but the view was worth it. With his back arched and ass in the air, Erwin looked inviting. 

Using both hands Levi held his ass open and tongued his hole again, running slow circles around the outside. He could feel Erwin squirming in his grip. His eyes slid closed as he concentrated on his mouth, circles and spirals, then spearing in-

The sound Erwin made was low and broken. A groaning "ohhh" when Levi pushed in deeper. Thankfully he was holding onto Erwin's hips because they were already canting back. Shameless. How long had Erwin wanted this? His body was begging for it already. If this was his reaction to rimming, then Levi was content to do this for hours. What other noises could Erwin make when he fucked him open with his tongue? He licked into him, jaw working as his tongue fluidly slipped in and out.

Levi's hand slipped away and up Erwin's inner thigh to cup his balls, rolling them in his palm. The noise this time was a pitiful whine cut off halfway, like Erwin was embarrassed to be making it. 

"Levi-" his name choked off as he delved deep with his tongue. Erwin really liked this. 

Levi lifted his head, reaching for the bottle of lube. He slicked up a couple fingers. Was Erwin about to start begging? With his free hand he pulled on Erwin's big cock hanging between his legs reaching mid thigh. With his other he rubbed against the outside for a moment before pushing in. 

Erwin didn't give an answer to his question, his breathing unsteady. Levi knew there wouldn't be too much discomfort with just one finger so he began stretching, moving in and out and rotating. His other hand jerked Erwin’s dick languidly, fingers forming a circle to squeeze whenever he reached the head. Levi noticed that Erwin’s cock was getting exceptionally wet, precome leaking freely from the tip and dripping over his fist. “We’re going to have to change the sheets after this.” Levi murmured with a half smile, carefully slipping in a second finger alongside the first. “Next time we’ll put down a towel.” 

“Levi-”

“Is that the only thing you can say?” Levi hooked his fingers to rub at Erwin’s prostate, pulling a guttural, raw sound from Erwin’s throat. “Your ass is squeezing my fingers and all you can say is my name-”

“Fuck me.” Erwin breathed into the sheets. Not good enough. Levi wanted to see him lose it. Erwin was normally so composed, so in control of himself and his words. He wanted to unravel Erwin bit by bit. 

“What was that?” Levi touched his prostate once more for another low groan. 

“Levi, fuck me.” Levi watched as Erwin turned his head to the side, those blue eyes locking onto him, hazy and desperate. Erwin’s eyes slipped closed in bliss when Levi thumbed the head of his cock, smearing precome over the tip. His voice was tight. “Fuck me. Come on.”

Interesting. That little spot inside him had reduced eloquent Erwin to two word sentences. Levi scissored his fingers briefly and pulled out, satisfied with how well Erwin was taking all this. The towel around his waist had slipped off a while ago, and he tossed it to the dirty hamper bin before straightening up. He reached for the lube for a second time, slicking himself up with a hiss. Dear god he was sensitive. Levi had but all his focus on Erwin and put his own desire on the back burner. He kept his grip light as he stroked himself, not wanting to blow too soon. 

Levi maneuvered closer, his knees brushing the insides of Erwin’s calves as he shifted between his legs. With one hand on Erwin’s ass and the other holding his cock steady, Levi easily began to sink inside. “Ohh…” Levi’s jaw dropped as he steadily moved inward. Holy shit he was goddamn tight, a wet vice around his cock. Why hadn’t he done this sooner? Should have fucked him on the second night, or any of the other times they screwed.

His gaze flicked up to check on Erwin. That smile was fresh on his face once again. Erwin was smiling, grinning as Levi filled him with cock for the first time. That piece of shit. He fucking won, he got exactly what he wanted. Son of a fucking bitch. Levi looked down at him, eyes dark. 

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” Levi circled his hips, taking his time and loosening him up. That smile was gradually faded as Erwin made eye contact with Levi. “You left out that dildo so I could figure out how bad you want cock in your ass.” 

He eyed Erwin as he nodded and pulled back so just the tip was inside. Both hands ran over Erwin’s ass appreciatively. “Show me then.” Levi growled. “Show me how you fuck yourself in the shower. Use my cock like you do that dildo.” 

Erwin let out a heavy breath and rocked backward. Levi looked down, mesmerized as his cock disappeared and reappeared. Oh fuck yeah. “That's it…” Levi held still as Erwin pushed back on him, slowly riding Levi’s dick. Just as he wanted, Erwin was steadily losing it. His hair was falling out of place, a flush was spreading down his neck, and on every drag back he grunted. Levi loved having this effect on him, to be something he craved and needed. “This what you want? Want to get spread open on my cock?” Levi ground out, adding a little bit of movement from his hips as Erwin sped up his pace, apparently spurred on by the dirty talk. 

Levi drank in the sight as Erwin arched his back further, his elbow digging into the mattress as he lifted up to change the angle. The spot he was looking for would be challenging to reach in this position. Levi gave a gruff laugh. “Can’t do it good enough, huh? Not enough to just take my cock?” 

“Levi…” Erwin moaned out his name, the sound sending a wave of heat through him. The message was clear when Levi pulled out and pushed on Erwin’s hip, encouraging him to roll over. Levi slipped between Erwin’s long legs, hands dragging up the back of his thighs. He heaved one of his knees up and over his shoulder and the other around his hip as he leaned forward to align his cock again. The glide inside was easy and he was able to reach in deep. 

When Levi gave a buck of his hips, he realized that he liked this position much better; he could see the stars in Erwin’s eyes as he fucked him. Those thick eyebrows were bunched together and pushed upward, pleading eyes locked onto Levi. He felt possessive. Levi never wanted Erwin’s gaze off him. He leaned forward and angled his hips, knowing just the right way to drive Erwin crazy. With a couple thrusts he found it and Erwin's mouth dropped open in a keening moan. Levi felt those strong thighs around him quake.

Levi repeated the action, biting his lip to muffle a moan of his own. The torso spread in front of him was bare, new territory to claim. As his mouth latched onto his chest, Erwin’s hand fisted in his hair, his grip desperate. The little tugs spurred his hips to jolt into him harder. It was hard to keep his eyes open to watch Erwin the sight of the blush on his high cheekbones and his heaving chest was visually stimulating. Levi loved seeing him like this, on the edge of losing control and relying on Levi to keep him sane. That strong jaw clenched around another wrecked noise. Those were the sounds he wanted. He wanted Erwin completely wrecked as Levi fucked him. 

Levi reached up to cup Erwin’s face, intending to bring him in for a kiss. He stretched upward, but he couldn’t quite reach. Why the hell was Erwin so damn tall? Picking up on Levi’s desires, Erwin turned his head to kiss the palm of his hand. The kisses were sweet until Erwin sucked Levi’s thumb into his mouth. Levi’s cock throbbed as Erwin shamelessly swirled his tongue, the image of Erwin sucking him off in his mind. Even now, when Levi was slamming against his prostate, Erwin was just coherent enough to make Levi just as frenzied as himself. 

He pulled his hand free and moved down to grasp Erwin’s cock, stroking at a quick, purposeful pace. Levi could feel pressure building in the pit of his stomach and he wanted Erwin to come with him. The grip in his hair grew firm as he focused on rubbing this thumb across the wet tip of his cock. Erwin’s muscles around him were tightening. “You close?” Levi asked. 

“Yes- yes ohh just like that- it's perfect.” Erwin’s mental shutdown was audible as sentences came out broken, his body began to tense, his blond hair sticking to his forehead. Levi fucked him harder, bed creaking as he pounded into him like he owned him. 

“Yeah that's it, come on my cock-” Levi watched with heated eyes as Erwin grimaced in pleasure, his breathing halting for a moment before one last broken noise escaped. There was a smear of come along his palm as Levi stroked him through his orgasm. As soon as Erwin was breathing again, he took Levi’s hand and brought it to his mouth to lick a stripe up his messy palm. Depraved, fucking shameless and needy- Levi’s breath hitched and his eyes rolled to the back of his head-

An embarrassingly loud noise ripped from his chest as Levi reached his peak. His eyes were screwed shut, but he knew that Erwin must be watching him. Levi could feel his heart thudding in his ears as he slowly came back to himself. He cracked an eye open and immediately looked down. “Ah shit.” He pulled out gently. “What a fucking mess.” 

He heard a single tired chuckle from Erwin as he reached for a couple tissues to wipe them both up. They really did need to change the sheets now, and that job would be Levi’s since he doubted Erwin would want to move much after getting his ass torn apart. 

With the tissues set aside Levi looked up to see Erwin gazing up at him, expression soft and warm. Just when he thought his heart rate was slowing, it sped up again. “What?”

Erwin cupped the back of Levi’s neck and tugged him down for a kiss. Levi could taste a hint of wine from earlier. Maybe he was starting to like the flavor. 

When they moved apart, Erwin smiled. “Well that was quite an effective hint.”

“No shit.” Levi slumped to Erwin’s side, still winded. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with when you want to try bondage or something kinky like that.” 

That smile only grew wider. 

“I guess you’ll just have to see.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took awhile, but this chapter comes with a couple extra treats. [Here ](http://8tracks.com/allyintherain/love-what-you-do-do-it-well)is an 8 tracks mix with some songs that I feel go well with the fic. 
> 
> The second treat will be at the end to avoid spoilers!
> 
> Thank you chhharl for beta reading!

It wasn't often, but every once in awhile Levi would find Erwin in an unusual state. There would be a book in his hands, or a file, or the tv in front of him, but he would be staring somewhere else. His eyes would be unfocused, but his head would be turned toward that wedding picture on the book case. Normally, Erwin was sharp as a tack. When Levi caught him zoning out, it was unnerving. 

Levi’s legs were stretched over Erwin’s lap was he watched him from over his phone. They were relaxing at Erwin’s place. The couch was comfortable and it was getting late, but he could tell that Erwin wasn’t just tired. There was something else going on. There was a document on the arm of the couch that had been set aside. Erwin’s expression was blank, but from time to time the hand on his ankle would gently clench. He’d been staring or fifteen minutes, glazed eyes on the picture. 

Levi followed his line of vision, focusing on the picture. They were smiling. The frame was simple and black, boxing in the photograph with sharp edges. 

Did Erwin ever get the chance to talk about things? He had mentioned before that he didn’t have many friends. On the outside he seemed fine, but Levi knew that he wasn’t over it completely. The experience with sailing was proof that Erwin’s feelings ran deeper Levi first thought. 

Something needed to be said. When Erwin stared at the picture with an empty look in his eyes, it was just sad. He cleared his throat and shifted his legs. Finally, Erwin’s gaze was broken and he turned his head to look at Levi. “Hey, if you need to talk about whatever…” Levi wasn’t sure how to end the sentence and already felt awkward. He grimaced. 

“Like what?” Erwin averted his eyes, looking downward and then back at the television. The cooking show playing was at a low murmur. “What are you talking about?” 

Levi decided to be blunt. “Your dead wife.” 

A smile spread across Erwin’s face and he looked back at Levi. “Bold, as always.” Levi tried to move his legs, but Erwin’s warm hand on his calf kept him there. “It’s something I’ve always liked about you.” Again, Levi didn’t know how to reply so he kept quiet. He watched as Erwin’s blue eyes tracked over his face. His eyes were always soft when they were on him. He lingered on the book in Levi’s hands. It was about sailing, and Levi watched him linger on it. 

“I don't want to make the same mistakes.” 

Levi let a sigh pass his lips. Erwin wasn’t getting it. “You don’t have to talk about stuff if you don’t want to.” It was all on Erwin’s terms. It was only fair, but he was concerned. That and he didn’t know much about his late wife, or their relationship. Levi wasn’t even sure what mistakes Erwin had made that he kept referencing to. Levi felt frustration whenever Erwin repeated the phrase. “I just want you to know that-... I don’t know.” Levi trailed off, making a wave with his hand, at a loss. A thumb rubbed along his ankle. “If you ever wanted to talk, I guess I could listen.” 

Erwin looked down and smiled to himself, seemingly pleased that Levi was trying to get him to open up. 

“I don’t like it when you look sad.” Levi blurted. Maybe in the process, he was the one opening up. He could feel heat creeping up the back of his neck, but Erwin was still smiling at him. 

“You worry about me?” 

“No.” Levi replied quickly and flatly, causing Erwin to chuckle. 

Erwin leaned inward and Levi understood that he wanted a kiss. He met him halfway for a quick peck, but Erwin’s hand caught his cheek to kiss him a second time. Lingering. His lips curled up against Levi’s. 

“I’m not sad.” 

“Say that again out loud next time you stare at that picture.” 

The little smile Erwin wore faltered. “Levi…” His hand fell away from Levi’s face and he moved away. Erwin straightened his back and looked up at the ceiling, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Shit. Pushed a little too far again. He needed to learn how to shut his mouth. He didn’t want to push him, not after last time.

“Forget I said anything-”

“No, no. I don’t want you to bite your tongue around me.” Erwin closed his eyes, chin tipped up and head resting against the back of the couch. Levi sat up as well, removing his legs from Erwin’s lap. He watched as Erwin took a deep breath. 

“Marie and I were married for a year. It was good, but I worked too much. I never had time for her.” Erwin glanced to Levi. He seemed to be checking if he was alright with listening. It wasn’t often he talked about his past relationships, let alone his past marriage. “It was our anniversary but I had attend a conference. She could come along, and I thought that would be fine.” There was a tight, bitter smile. “Of course it wasn’t. I was stupid.” 

Erwin’s eyes were on the picture again. “We had an argument on the way there.” Erwin’s voice was even, like he was trying to distance himself. “I wasn’t paying attention to the road. I ran through a red light.” Levi could figure out what happened next. A crash, obviously. He kept quiet. This is what he asked for, Erwin to talk about it. “A car hit us from the right. Crushed the passenger’s side.” 

Levi wasn’t expecting more details. Frankly, he didn’t want to hear more, but Erwin kept talking. “She didn’t die right away. She stayed alive for at least a couple minutes-”

“Erwin.” Levi stopped him. Erwin’s breathing had grown uneven, betraying his neutral expression. 

Fuck. Levi wanted Erwin to get it off of his chest, but now that Erwin had given him the account, he didn’t know what to do with it. Erwin wasn’t even looking at him. He was still focused on the picture, lost in those last moments again. Levi had gotten a glimpse into that dark place was where he went every time he stared at the picture.

“ _Erwin._ ” Levi’s hand squeezed his shoulder and he snapped out of it. Erwin shook his head.

“Sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” Levi let his hand linger on him. He wanted to hear what Erwin had been through, but now he wasn’t prepared to comfort him. Levi knew that words weren’t his strong suit, so he moved to sit in Erwin’s lap. Both arms wrapped around his shoulders to pull him in for a hug. Erwin melted into the embrace, his head falling against Levi’s inner neck, face tucked in. Perhaps he was helping more than he thought. 

They stayed like that for a while. When Levi tried to move away an arm snuck around his middle to keep him there. 

“Thank you.” 

\---

Levi had only seen the project site once before drafting his ideas and Erwin thought it would be a good idea to see it again, just to get updated on the progress.

“Lets go”

Levi’s morning tea hovered under his nose as he glanced up at Erwin. He was leaning on the door frame of Levi’s cubicle. Levi shrugged, his afternoon was open. “Sure.” They agreed to visit over lunch. They took Levi’s car, grabbing some food to go before heading over to the site. 

The project had been coming along nicely. The permits had been cleared a couple weeks ago and the company jumped on construction as soon as spring thawed the frozen earth. They made a detour to the construction manager’s trailer to get a couple of safety hats before heading to the main area. 

The soil was freshly turned, and Levi grimaced as he noticed some dirt on his nice leather shoes. Erwin caught his sour look and shrugged, “Shoes are replaceable, but seeing a building come to life is magical.” There was a light in his eyes. 

Although Erwin spent most of his time in the office, he seemed to know the construction workers fairly well, waving to a few of them having their lunch break. Of course Erwin knew everyone. 

There wasn’t a lot to the site yet other than freshly pressed dirt and the beginnings of sheet pile installation, but Erwin seemed excited. He stopped at a bare patch of ground. “Here’s where the front door should be.” Obviously Erwin had been here several times before to know that without the blueprints in front of him. 

Erwin gestured above him, to the empty air. “Door frame here, with stone flushwork that will be an older contrast to the rest of the modern building.” 

“I’m not known for boring.” Levi surveyed the mostly barren lot. “It felt like it needed something.” He wasn’t sold on the magical aspect of construction just yet, but it did feel wondrous to know that in six months time there would be a full building in front of them, stretching up toward the sky. Fascinating, how huge structures could pop up so quickly, rising from an empty patch of land. 

\---

Levi was ready to get the hell out of the goddamn office. His back was killing him from the stiff chair he sat in, and everyone was extra obnoxious today. An intern kept trying to chat with him whenever he so much as lifted his head from his work, and someone stole his lunch out of the fridge.

He shoved his tea thermos in his leather messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. Tonight he and Erwin were going to go to dinner. Lately they had grown lazy and ordered in. They needed to get out more or they’d quickly become an old couple. 

Just as Levi stood up, the elevator doors opened. A man walked through. He was dressed casually, much too casually to work in the building. The man wore a brown coat and dirty jeans, and were those steel toed boots? He leaned his elbows on the receptionist’s desk, getting uncomfortably close judging by the tense look on the her face. Levi watched with a curled lip as the man sniffed loudly, his big nose wrinkling. Did he need a tissue or something, or was he just smelling the receptionist? What the fuck. 

There was something familiar about him though, about the way his unkempt hair fell into his eyes. Levi felt like he had seen him before. 

The man’s face was unshaven, a scruffy beard lined his jaw and a gross mustache raised on his upper lip as he smiled when greeted. 

“Hello Mike.” Erwin approached him from behind and Levi’s stomach dropped. This guy looked like a stray dog; did Erwin really know him?

This Mike guy was clapping Erwin on the shoulder. Touching him. The smile Erwin wore was warm and wide. 

Of course, Hanji had to poke her head up from her cubicle. “Who’s that?” 

“I don’t know. Mind your own business.” Levi grumbled as Erwin jerked his thumb toward him. When Mike looked in his direction, Levi narrowed his eyes. They walked toward him. 

“Levi, I’d like you to meet Mike. He’s a good friend of mine. We met in college.” 

Mike held out his hand to shake. Levi noticed splotches of dirt across his palm. He lightly pinched Mike’s index finger and gave one shake, keeping contact between them minimal. He had to look up at him, since he was taller than Erwin even-

It clicked. There was a picture of Erwin and some scruffy guy dressed in frat boy shirts in his bedroom. This was the guy in the picture. Was this the _experience_ Erwin had in college? His stomach twisted. 

Just when Levi thought he had his jealousy in check, it reared it’s ugly face again. 

“Mike texted me over lunch and we’re going to have a drink and catch up.” Erwin explained, “I know we had plans tonight, but feel free to come over. I’ll be home later.” 

The feeling in the pit of his stomach resided some. Erwin spoke of his apartment as if they both shared it. “That's fine.”

“You can invite Hanji over if you’d like.”

“Maybe.” Levi glanced to the side to see Hanji leaning on the edge of the cubicle again, an elbow propping her head up and a cheeky smile on her face. 

“I’d love to hang out Levi. We haven’t done that in a while.” There was a gleam in her eye that let Levi know that she was curious about something, probably Erwin’s house. It would be strange to have someone at Erwin’s house when he’s not there, but the way he said it stuck with him. Erwin would be home later, like it was their home. 

Erwin noticed the look Hanji wore as well. He offered her a nod and a smile. Erwin was well aware that Hanji was one of Levi’s only friends, so of course he pushed them to hang out. What Levi wasn’t expecting was the look from Mike. He kept staring at Hanji. Brief little glances to her and then away again. Hanji was strange, but she didn’t deserve those odd looks. 

“Help yourself to some wine. We’ll see you later.” With that, Erwin and Mike turned and left. Levi’s jaw clenched when he saw Mike’s hand on Erwin’s shoulder, patting him as they entered the elevator. There was a sense of intimacy there as he leaned into Erwin and whispered something to him, causing Erwin’s shoulders to shake as he chuckled. The elevator doors closed.

Mike hadn’t said a word to him, but he whispered something that made Erwin laugh? What the fuck was it? 

“Give me a minute to wrap up and we can get out of here.” Hanji ducked down again to shove some things in her bag. Maybe she didn’t notice how Mike was being weird as fuck. People were trickling out of the building, and soon Levi and Hanji joined them. They took separate cars to Erwin’s house. 

Levi unlocked Erwin’s apartment and led them both inside. He flipped on a light switch and watched her walk around, checking the place out. She was like a cat in a new room, needing to check every corner. Levi watched her fiddle with the iPhone dock. “Get an android... “ 

While she roamed, Levi considered his presence in Erwin’s apartment. He had his winter coat still hanging on the coat hook, choosing to wear lighter jackets since it was warming up. He had a small, neat pile of books next to the couch. Some he was letting Erwin borrow, and some he had left here for reading. Erwin didn’t have a DVD player so Levi brought over his, along with some of his favorite movies and shows. 

His coffee cup was in the kitchen, his toothbrush in the bathroom, a small stock of his prescriptions was in the cabinet. Last time they went shopping, Levi helped pay since he knew they would both be eating the food. Little by little, the place was becoming _theirs_. 

Hanji’s voice crowed from the kitchen, “Holy shit there's so much wine.” She came back into the living room with a bottle of white wine and the electronic wine bottle opener that Levi bought Erwin awhile ago. “Is Erwin a wine mom?” 

Levi huffed a laugh, “Do you even like wine?” He gathered two wine glasses from the kitchen and took the bottle from her to pour. 

“Eh…” She took the bottle from him once he had poured a glass, pressing the rim to her lips for a swig as Levi watched with a wrinkled nose. Hanji swished the wine in her mouth and gulped. “It’s alright.” 

“I’m glad I filled up.” Levi held up his glass in a mock toast before taking a long drink. Erwin always chided him for pouring too heavily, but he didn’t see the point in having a glass half full. Time to change the topic to what was really on his mind. “So that Mike guy is a real piece of shit, am I right?” 

“Ha.” Hanji got comfortable on the sofa, folding up her legs to cross and cradle the wine bottle. Levi joined her on the opposite side. “He didn’t say two words to you.”

“Rude.”

“Or maybe he’s quiet? I don’t know.” 

Levi frowned and reached for the remote, grumbling, “I guess.” 

“It’s okay to be jealous.” Levi shoots her a glare for saying that and Hanji shook her head. “Okay, let me rephrase. It’s normal to be jealous, to an extent.”

Was he that obvious? He took another long pull from his wine glass as he shuffled through Hulu. “I’m about eighty percent sure that they fooled around together in college, and they still seem pretty chummy.” Ah, maybe he shouldn’t have said that. 

“Yeah, so?” 

Levi sighed and stayed quiet for a while as the bass line intro to Seinfeld filled the silence. “Yeah...so. It’s not a big deal.” He crossed a leg over his knee. “I just need to get over it.”

“That's the spirit.” Hanji nudged him with her foot and he scooted further away, leaning heavily into the arm of the sofa to get away from her. 

Although Hanji was disgusting and obnoxious, she was good with advice when he needed it. Her head was surprisingly level when it came to things like this. “Okay so I’m only going to say this once.”

“Yeah?” There was a discerning smile already on her lips. 

“You’re a good friend.” And he was sorry for being a dick all the time, but Levi left that part out. 

“I try.” She replied and Levi could feel her watching him as he kept his eyes on the television. 

He looked down into his wine glass. “What’s in here? It’s turning me into a softie.” 

She snorted. “Yeah all this wine and Seinfeld is making you a sap.” 

“Yeah okay. Shut up and let me enjoy my trash.”

Their banter continued throughout a couple episodes before Levi heard the front door click open. 

“...Last time I’m paying for drinks.” Mike mumbled, lips turned up just the barest amount. 

“I see you picked a good choice of wine.” Erwin addressed his guests in an attempt to change the topic. Hanji held up the bottle and gave him a nod, shaking it once to show it was empty.

“You sure have some nice fermented grape juice here.”

Levi’s lips grew thin to try and hide smile. The smile quickly faded as he watched Mike slip off his work shoes before stepping inside, flecks of dirt still getting on the floor. His socks were a shade of faded brown grey. Although his glare was sharp enough to kill, Mike seemed to be ignoring him for Hanji again. Was she extra gross today and is he just used to it? 

He cleared his throat. Maybe he would be willing to attempt communication, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to initiate it. 

Erwin took the initiative, “Ah, Mike. Did you ever tell Levi what you do?” 

“Construction manager.” 

So that explained the grimy clothes, but it didn’t explain how Mike couldn’t speak more than six words in a sentence. 

“We worked together on a project awhile ago.” Erwin explained.

“I thought you met in college.” Levi stated.

Erwin and Mike shared a fond glance, seeming to relive some memories together. “We did,” Erwin explained, “We also recommend each other for projects often.” 

Hanji, who had been fiddling with her phone, looked up. “Where did you two go?” 

“Edgewood institute.” Mike answered. 

“Oh I went there too! What year did you graduate?”

“2008.”

“Me too!” Hanji scooted over on the couch and patted the seat next to her. Levi noticed how Mike’s face turned a little pink as he shuffled over to sit next to her. “What was your major? Do you remember when all the computers on campus got hacked and rickroll started playing?”

“Construction engineering, and yeah.”

“Well that was me. I thought I was hilarious.” 

“I thought it was genius”

“Ha. Thanks. It was easy to dox, but it took me awhile to get it all synced up... ” 

Mike and Hanji were acting pretty chummy. Levi made eye contact with Erwin and tilted his head toward the other two and frowned in question.

Mike was leaned forward toward her with an elbow on his knee. He seemed absorbed in her lecture, but stiff. Hanji, on the other hand, looked relaxed and oblivious to the interest Mike had in her. 

“Another glass of wine, Levi?” Erwin asked, looking over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen. 

“Sure.” Levi rose to follow him, grateful for the chance to escape being the third wheel. 

As soon as they were out of earshot, Erwin spoke. “I think he has a crush on her.”

“You think?” Levi opened another bottle of wine, a bitter one that Erwin enjoyed more than himself. 

“Okay, I know he does. He asked about her three times and I kept telling him I don’t know what she smells like, all I know is that she guessed my email password within two tries.” 

Levi grabbed a fresh glass from the cabinet and poured a glass. “So Mike is straight?” 

“Yes-”

“Even after fooling around with you?” 

Erwin winced. “Yes. Levi-” 

Levi answered with a low chuckle and took a sip of wine. His jealousy was still an undercurrent, but it was easy to diffuse after the wine. “It’s fine. Not a big deal.” 

Erwin looked sheepish. “I should have known you’d put the pieces together.” He took the glass that Levi passed to him. “We were drunk. He said he figured out he was completely straight immediately after.” 

“That's a relief. I was gonna kick his ass.” It was only a half joke. He could still find it in him to kick Mike’s ass. 

“There’s no need.” Erwin set down his wineglass and slung his arm around Levi’s middle to pull him in for a quick peck. “It’s kind of nice when you’re jealous.” 

“I don’t get him.” Levi admitted. His fingers smoothed over Erwin’s jawline. “He thinks Hanji is better looking than you? She’s doesn’t shower regularly.”

Erwin smiled, eyes growing easy. “Is that a compliment toward me?” 

“No. Maybe. I don’t understand straight people.” 

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“I’ve never heard that before. Did you come up with that yourself?” 

“Levi.” Erwin’s hand slipped low deliver an audacious pinch to his rear. “Be nice.” 

With a smirk, Levi pressed close to Erwin, his fingers hooking into his belt loops. “Make me.”

Erwin licked his lips and thought, coming to a decision. “Time to leave!” He called from the kitchen. “I’m heading to bed. Goodnight!” 

“What a gracious host.” Levi pulled Erwin down to whisper, teeth pinching his ear. 

They heard the shuffling of shoes and a door open and close. “I try.” 

\---

Shit shit shit. 

Levi dropped his pen when he saw what time it was.

He was late again. Levi had been working on a new project and time slipped away. The meeting with Erwin was supposed to start twenty minutes ago. They were staying late to go over the comments from the commissioner. Levi stood and noticed that he was the only one left in the office. The lights were dim. Everyone else had gone home. 

Fuck. Levi scrambled to grab a folder filled with notes and speed walked to Erwin’s office door. The blinds were shut. Did he leave without saying goodbye? After a courtesy knock, Levi opened the door. 

Erwin was at his desk, laptop open and his hand on the keyboard. Erwin’s office was bathed in orange light from sunset seen from the window behind him. 

Erwin didn’t look up when he came in. Levi started. “Why didn’t you come get me or something-”

“Close the door.” Erwin’s jaw was firmly set and his tone was low. Fuck. Was he mad or something? His stomach twisted with anxiety, but he frowned deeply. Erwin can’t be this pissed at him for being late. Levi closed the door behind him. 

“Why does it matter? No one is-”

“Lock it.” 

At that Levi cocked his head, but his hand reached behind him for the lock. Erwin’s gaze was intense, authoritative. It was hot. Levi stepped forward but Erwin held up a palm to stop him. He rocked back in his black leather chair, his elbow resting on the arm and a leg crossed over his knee. There was something attractive about his masculine posture. Erwin looked him up and down, slowly dragging his eyes over his body.

Obviously, the file wasn’t on Erwin’s mind anymore. The way Erwin looked at him with those intense blue eyes made him burn. 

Levi opened his mouth to ask him what his problem was, but Erwin spoke first. 

“Strip.”

“Excuse me?” Levi’s eyes widened in surprise, but his hand automatically reached for his tie, loosening it. 

There was no answer from Erwin, just a cocked eyebrow. Goddamn it. Levi undid his tie and hesitated before reaching for any buttons. Were they really going to do this here? This was very _against_ the workplace conduct contract they signed. 

Levi tried to rationalize it in his head. Everyone was gone, so that wasn’t a problem. No one would know. It wasn’t like he hadn’t fantasized about fooling around in the office before…

“Fuck.” Levi murmured as gave in and unbuttoned his shirt, Erwin’s little smile growing wide and wicked. The man tilted his head to the side as if he were getting another angle, watching closely as Levi shrugged out of his white button down shirt. 

Undressing in a work space was new and exciting. A spike of adrenaline flowed through his veins at the thought of someone still being around. Since it was late on a Friday, he highly doubted it. 

Might as well put on a show if this was happening. Levi glanced down coyly as he reached for his belt, carefully undoing the buckle and sliding it away from his pants to drop to the floor. He lifted his eyes to look at Erwin again, “Is this a punishment?” Levi asked. There seemed to be some power play here, which Levi found himself enjoying.

“Perhaps.” Erwin pronounced the word slowly. Levi toed off his shoes and unzipped his pants, huffing out a laugh to himself as he watched Erwin staring at his groin. 

“I don’t mind a little pain, you know.” Levi said, letting his pants slip down his thighs and to the floor. No underwear today. “Do you want me to call you daddy or something?”

“Hmmm. Not this time.” 

Levi’s head snapped up. Jesus christ. Was he serious? Judging by Erwin’s leering gaze he was. 

“Come here.” Erwin rumbled, two fingers gesturing to get closer. Under normal circumstances, Levi wouldn’t accept being bossed around, but it was obvious that this was just a game they were playing. Levi was very willing to participate. Took a few steps to get around Erwin’s desk, slow just to make him wait. 

“On your knees.” 

Levi licked his lips and dropped down, resting his hands on Erwin’s thighs. This was something he had forgotten he wanted. Awhile ago Eren had tried to take control during sex, but it was laughable. The firm grip of Erwin’s tight fist in his hair made Levi’s eyelids flutter closed. Erwin knew exactly what he was doing. He guided Levi’s head to press against the bulge in his pants. “Suck me.” 

A shiver sizzled down Levi’s spine.

“Yes.” He hummed against the outline of his cock. Both hands reached up to undo Erwin’s belt, pull down his zipper.

“Yes _please_.” Erwin corrected, sighing when Levi took his dick out. 

Defiant, Levi glared up at him and declined to answer by wrapping his mouth around the tip of his cock. Whoops, sorry. Mouth occupied. 

Erwin didn’t seem to mind, his lower lip catching between his teeth as Levi’s tongue swirled. 

“I want to use your mouth.” Erwin growled, his hips twitching up. “Tap my leg if it gets to be too much for you and I’ll stop.” 

Levi moaned in reply. If Erwin wanted full control, he could have it. Levi braced his hands on Erwin’s thighs, feeling the muscles bunch as Erwin gave a roll of his hips into Levi’s mouth. 

Erwin’s long cock easily bumped the back of Levi’s throat. He was a little out of practice with deep throating continuously like this, but Levi managed to keep his breathing mostly steady. The rhythm was kept consistent, but Erwin was getting more rough. His hips were rising out of his chair and his hand was pushing on the back of Levi’s head, forcing him to go deeper. 

Tears gathered in the corners of Levi’s eyes and his jaw ached, but the way Erwin moaned when he attempted to suck on the draw back made him hard as diamonds. Levi’s breathing was unexpectedly cut off when Erwin held his head down, his mouth and throat filled with cock. Levi’s face flushed dark red with the lack of airflow and he made a horrible gagging noise. Before he could tap his leg, Erwin let go and Levi pulled back for air. 

“Can't handle it?” Erwin’s smile was breathless and his tone was playfully condescending. He gently combed through Levi’s hair, brushing a few strands out of his face. “Is my cock too big for you to take?” 

“I can take it.” Levi wiped his lips off with the back of his hand and leaned in again with an eager, open mouth, but Erwin pulled him away. 

“Come up here. Sit in my lap.” 

Levi crawled into Erwin's lap from the floor. He was completely naked while Erwin still looked sharp in his suit, wet cock jutting from his pants. Levi spread his thighs over Erwin’s hips, straddling him. He looped his arms around Erwin’s neck and waited for further direction.

“Reach behind you. In my bag there should be a bottle and a toy.” Levi leaned behind and fumbled in Erwin’s bag to find the little bottle of lube and a vibrator. His lip ticked up when he realized that Erwin had been planning this. No surprise there. 

Erwin plucked the vibrator from Levi’s hands. It was silver and slim, a black dial at the bottom to adjust for speed. It was maybe six inches; definitely good for prep and not the main course. 

“Wet it.” Erwin held it in offering. 

As directed, Levi coated the device. Erwin brought his hand around his hip to his ass, curling in to carefully prod his opening. As Erwin slowly stretched him out, Levi’s hands wandered. It must be hot in that suit, so he loosened Erwin’s tie, undid the first few buttons on his white dress shirt-

“Stop.” Levi froze, making eye contact with Erwin. His voice was firm, but he didn’t sound angry. Levi moved his hands to Erwin’s shoulders. “I want your focus here.” Erwin slipped the toy a little further inside. He held his hand still. “Ride it.” 

Levi rolled his hips back, fucking himself on the toy. With every rock, he took it a little deeper. His head rested on his shoulder, Erwin’s chin tilted and his lips were on his ear. “Good, you’re so good…” He murmured. The praise went to Levi’s cock and he pushed himself back harder. “You take it so well. Should I give you a treat?” 

“Yesss.” Levi hissed, not caring what it was, just that Erwin kept making him feel amazing. 

A buzz shot through Levi’s nerves as the vibrator turned on and he turned his head into Erwin’s neck to muffle his moan. 

“Feel good?” Erwin asked, wrist moving to fuck him with the toy, trying different angles. 

Levi’s hips began to move unconsciously, needing to fuck himself back on the vibrator and forward to try and stimulate his cock. “Erwin…” He breathed. 

Erwin circled the vibrator. “You like the toy so much, do you even want my cock anymore?” 

Levi clenched down on the toy. “Erwin, please.” 

The toy slipped out of him and Erwin’s lap shifted. “Get up and turn around.” 

Levi breathed for a moment to collect his mind before he slipped off Erwin’s lap and turned. The desk that Erwin used was the meeting table, since Erwin didn’t have his own office. This table was used every monday morning for meetings with his boss and clients. It was dark brown, and cool to the touch. Levi would never be able to look at it the same way again. 

He slid Erwin’s laptop and papers to the side moments before he felt Erwin’s hand on the center of his back, pressing him down. 

“Hold yourself open for me. Show me how ready you are.”

Levi felt his face heat up as he reached behind himself to spread his ass open. He tried to hide his face with his shoulder, embarrassed. He could feel Erwin watching him. 

“Beg for it. Beg for my cock.” Erwin’s tone was low. Something firm and wet tapped against his ass, Erwin’s dick. 

Levi arched his back, “Please.” He asked without hesitation. He needed this, he needed Erwin. “Please fuck me.” 

Erwin placed his cock along Levi’s crack, rubbing back and forth over him. “And what if I do this?” Erwin asked, “What if I used you like this? Came all over your back?” 

“Erwin, _please_.” Levi squirmed. His body thrummed with anticipation. “Give me your cock, come _on._ ” 

He felt Erwin move. “Brace yourself.” 

Levi twisted his torso to see Erwin over his shoulder. His head was bowed, watching himself as he lined his cock up with Levi and pushed in. Levi could see Erwin’s jaw grow tight as he slid deeper, until his own eyes rolled back and his jaw dropped open as he bottomed out. 

His hands scrabbled at the table as Erwin pulled back, hands balling into fists as he moved in slowly again. “Erwin…fuck me harder…”

Levi heard a growl and a hand swatted his ass. He jolted in surprise, but the sting of pain warped into pure heat. “I’ll fuck you as slow as I want.” Erwin finally looked up to make eye contact with Levi and he raised his hand again. This time a groan accompanied the smack. 

“Erwin!” Levi tensed and Erwin’s hips bucked more firmly. 

“You get so tight when I do this.” Erwin spanked him again and Levi could feel blood rushing to his ass, turning it red. “Ohhh, yeah. Do you like it when I hurt you?” 

“Yes. Yes. Yes yes yes.” Levi chanted, Erwin’s groans made him mindlessly grind back into his movements. 

Erwin’s hand fisted into his hair. Oh god, that grip was so strong- “Ahhhh…” Levi moaned as Erwin pulled, forcing Levi to raise up, his back arching and his hands flat on the table. Erwin’s lips were on his exposed neck, kissing, sucking, and nipping. He could hear Erwin’s breathing had grown ragged, little grunts puffing out on every rough thrust. 

One of Levi’s hands snuck between his own legs to jerk himself off. He was leaking precome all over the meeting table. Right where Erwin sat to work every day- 

“Are you close?” Erwin asked, his filthy mouth pressed against Levi’s ear. “Are you gonna come? I want your ass to squeeze and milk my cock as you come.” His tongue slid down his neck. “That's it, get tight for me. Let me have you- let me _own_ you-” Levi cried out as teeth sunk into his shoulder, the flash of pain causing his brain to shut down and send him over the edge. 

Behind him he felt the jerks of Erwin’s hips grow desperate and then slow. He felt him shudder, then groan into his shoulder. He felt him breathe, his forehead resting against Levi’s neck. 

For a while they stayed like that. Just breathing. 

Erwin groped inside of his bag for tissues before slumping back into his desk chair. Levi remained sprawled on the desk, exhausted and panting. He heard the wheels of the chair roll closer and felt some tissues begin to clean him up, gently wiping their mess clean. A kiss was placed on his ass cheek before Erwin stood up to zip himself up.

Levi redressed, looping his belt through his pants again and straightening his tie. It was dark now and his stomach grumbled. “Dinner?” 

“I was going to attempt to cook Italian.” Erwin cleared his throat. The conversation was a little awkward after the intense sex. Erwin proved time and time again to be just as possessive as Levi but was more shy about it. “Unless you’d like something else.” 

Levi circled the bite mark through his shirt. It didn’t break the skin, but it might bruise. The reminder would be there for a couple days at least. He pressed into the skin. “I’ll help.” 

\---

“See me in my office.” 

Levi paused in his typing to look up but his boss was already gone. The tone sounded serious. Did he mean now? He left his cubicle to head to where his boss’s office was and spotted Erwin headed his way. Erwin looked more anxious than Levi. Perhaps it was because Levi had been called into his boss’s office before to be reprimanded for language. 

“You too?” Levi felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, the same feeling he got as a kid and he was in trouble. “I don’t know what's going on, but he didn’t look happy.”

Erwin’s expression was grim. He leaned in close, his voice a murmur.“ I got an email. They know about last night.”

Levi felt the blood drain from his face. _Fuck._ “How?” 

“They didn’t see anything, but the security guard heard some things.” Erwin kept his neutral mask in place. “Then he saw us leaving-”

The office door opened. “I need to speak with both of you, privately.” 

Erwin and Levi shared a worried glance before entering. Hopefully, they'd be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here ](https://youtu.be/_nJz_8PLGL0)is a little animated thing I made for a scene because I think I'm funny. Enjoy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! Wow! It's been so long since I've started this. I can't believe it's over! I'm so glad I wrote this fic. Not only was it an awesome outlet for creativity and headcanons, but it helped me find and interact with other eruri fans. I'm definitely not done writing eruri. 
> 
> I'd like to thank Chhharl one last time for beta reading, and I'd also like to thank Satine_writes for being a great beta as well. They both had super helpful input. 
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! Its been great!
> 
> Enjoy.

 

Levi sat across from his boss Albert Jones, a balding man with a thick dark moustache. Levi knew that he tried to act stern, but was a big pushover. This wasn’t the first time he’d been called into the office to be chewed out before, but it wasn’t over something as big as this. Levi decided to try and play it cool. What did the email entail anyway? He had no chance to read it. He leaned back in his chair and crossed a leg, fishing his phone out of his pocket as his Jones began to speak.

“I don’t quite know where to start with this-”

Levi skimmed over the email.

_Personal work relationships. Night security guard. After hours alone. Leaving together-_

Is that it?

They didn’t know shit.

“-I don’t want this to turn into something bigger than it should be.”

Levi glanced to Erwin who was sitting ramrod straight. Was Erwin really that naive? Had he never been called into his superior’s office before? Of course not. Erwin wasn't the type to get on his boss’s bad side, preferring instead to manipulate into their graces. Levi dismissed the thought.

“Our building security guard about heard about the relationship you two have together.”

Levi’s jaw clenched and he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He fixed Jones with an icy stare. “And?”

“Well, he saw you two leaving very late together last night.” Jones shifted in his seat. “I know you two are working on a project together, and there’s a lot of hours involved. Sometimes staying late is unavoidable, but I think it would be wise if-”

“We have to stay late in order to do our _jobs_.” Levi’s lip curled, and he leaned forward. “Are you saying that because of an overly sensitive, scandalized security guard, we have to work harder order to meet deadlines in less work time? Over rumors?”

Jones heaved a sigh and rubbed at his brow. “I know you two are very dedicated to your work and that you wouldn’t do anything unprofessional at work, but if it makes someone uncomfortable-”

“And why was he uncomfortable? He just heard about our relationship and saw us leave together. What’s the big deal with that? Would he feel uncomfortable if-”

“Levi,” Erwin spoke up for the first time since they entered the room. He sounded much more calm than he sounded before they entered the office. “I’m sure that’s not the case. There has to be a compromise of some sort.”

Why the fuck was Erwin acting like this? He was all concerned earlier and insinuating that they were fucked, but now he was acting docile, practically taking Jones's side. What the fuck was this, good cop-

Bad cop.

It clicked. Good cop, bad cop. That's what his angle was. He got Levi worked up and outraged before they even sat down. Levi wasn’t sure if he felt proud or pissed. Erwin had to have an angle.

“Both of you are valuable assets. I don’t want to deal with HR, but something has to change.” Jones sent a wary glance to Levi, and then turned back to Erwin, palms up and open. “I’m open to ideas.”

Erwin pinched his chin in thought. He kept a stoic expression, but Levi knew he must have already had a plan in place.

“To avoid unwarranted rumors, and to keep a clear reputation of professionalism, why don’t we add a third party to our group?”

Levi openly expressed his distaste by folding his arms and rolling his eyes. A third party would blow ass. Who would it even be?

“That sounds like a reasonable solution,” Jones shrugged and nodded. “Who do you have in mind? Who would be a good fit?”

“Hanji would be useful.”

Levi was going to kill him.

“The woman in IT?”

“Yes. She would help out with some of the new technology we’re using for this project.”

“Sure. I don’t really care who the third person is to be honest,” Jones admitted. “I just want this to be over and not a problem anymore.”

Erwin’s chin tipped up and he smiled. “Thank you. Now we’ll get back to work.” They’d won. Levi felt a sense of relief along with his irritation.

They left the office, and Levi headed back to his desk. Erwin caught up to walk beside him. Levi muttered under his breath. “I loved that. That was great.”

“Really?”

“No. Fuck no.”  

“Ah- okay. I thought what happened was reasonable-”

“Not here, Erwin.” Levi reached his desk and brought out his phone to communicate silently.

  _I’d rather not have this discussion openly in the office in case we make anyone uncomfortable._

Levi held his phone out for Erwin to read. He nodded in understanding and left back to his makeshift office.

_I understand. I thought it was a reasonable compromise, especially since we almost got caught. If we were found out we could have been fired and our careers ruined. I decided to play along and lessen suspicion.  -ES_

Levi read the text and audibly sighed. He had a point. It could have ended extremely badly.

_I didn’t have time to explain everything to you, and I needed you to be irritated so I could be the one to bring Jones to a solution that would work for us. -ES_

_Hanji was the only third party I could think of that would get along with both of us, and not impact our work directly. -ES_

_Are you mad at me? -ES_

_I’m just glad it’s over with and not as bad as I initially thought. -LA_

_I’m glad you’re not angry. I’ll buy you dinner. -ES_

_For a month. -LA_

_And just so you know, we’re never going to add third “party” to our group in other areas of our life. -LA_

_A month sounds fine. No? I thought you liked Mike. -ES_

_Kidding, of course. We can get anything you’d like for dinner tonight. You choose. -ES_

Levi used his heels to roll his chair back enough to be half out of his cubicle. “Hanji.”

She spun in her chair, a pen stuck behind each ear. “Yeah?”

“You’re part of me and Erwin’s project now. Meet us in Erwin’s office at two.”

She cocked her head. “What am I gonna help with?”

“You’re going to help Erwin connect his bluetooth and shut up.”

 

\---

 

Levi held the door open for Erwin as he entered the apartment, toeing off his shoes. It was dark, and he flipped on a light switch and the room was illuminated in a soft glow. He had chosen Italian for dinner, and the carbs helped keep him calm, but there was still a question lingering in the back of his mind.

“So, what would you have done if they had actually caught us?” Levi asked him over his shoulder, keeping the tone of the serious question casual. There was a sinking feeling in his gut every time he thought about how close he had been to losing his job if the security guard had actually followed up on them and witnessed them fucking.

Levi could see Erwin’s shoulders tense as he thought about the question seriously, taking the stress upon himself. “I don’t know…” Erwin set his laptop bag on a hook on the wall and headed over to the couch, the warm glow of the lamp making his blond hair shine even more golden.

Joining him, Levi unbuttoned the top few buttons of his dress shirt and laid down on the open part of the couch. He spread his legs and raised an arm, patting his chest. Erwin took the hint and scooched closer, leaning into Levi’s chest to lay on him. Erwin was significantly bigger than Levi, but it felt good to have a solid weight upon him. Calming.

“I don’t want to make the same mistakes,” Erwin murmured against his chest. It took Levi a moment to process what he meant. He’d said those words before. Strange, how someone who was long dead kept affecting Erwin’s life.

“If you had resigned to save my skin, I’d kill you,” Levi could feel Erwin’s shoulders loosen up as he chuckled.

“I know.”

Levi brought a hand up to comb through Erwin’s hair, his fingertips soothing along his scalp. His hair was so soft, silky. Levi wanted to return the comfort that Erwin’s presence gave him. “I don’t want you to choose between your career and me.” Levi pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He couldn’t imagine a world where Erwin wasn’t pursuing his passion. “I want you to have both.”

Erwin’s arm shifted to wrap around him, holding him tight. Levi felt him inhale and exhale slowly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” His voice was quiet, murmured into his shirt. “I wasn’t doing well before you and I’m so thankful you’re in my life now. I’d never want to lose you. I never thought I’d have something like this again.”

“Levi.” There was a lag in his voice, as if Erwin was tentative to speak the rest. It came out in a whisper. “I love you.”

Levi was at a loss for words. He felt his chest clench, and when he finally released the air in his lungs, he felt a sensation of fullness. But this wasn’t a new sensation. He’d felt this before, and he’d been feeling it for a long time.

A moment of silence passed, and Levi felt Erwin shift on his chest. His head lifted, and Levi was met Erwin’s clear blue eyes. He saw cautiousness there, cautious but hopeful. Erwin licked his lips nervously. Erwin looked vulnerable, fragile, but he didn’t need to be.

Gently, Levi took his chin in his fingers and tipped his face up to guide him into a kiss, catching his plush lower lip. His hand smoothed over Erwin’s cheek, thumb caressing the stubble along his jaw. He felt Erwin’s muscles slowly relax, uncoiling, melting into his touch as he stroked along his face again.

Levi pulled back from the kiss to place his lips under Erwin’s ear. Saying it seemed easy. Strange, that they hadn’t said the words to each other already. “I love you too.” He didn’t have the admissions of affection that Erwin had, but he did have those simple little words. He could feel Erwin smile when he pressed a kiss to his cheek, eyes closed and his nose in Erwin’s temple.

“Levi,” he felt him rumble, his voice full of sentiment. Erwin’s lips pressed kisses against Levi’s neck, soft and tender. “Levi,” Erwin repeated. “Levi.” He seemed to be saying his name for the fun of it.

“Yes?” Levi half chuckled as he pulled back, his hand running through Erwin’s hair again. He watched as Erwin leaned into his touch, his eyes soft and full of warmth.

“Move in with me,” Erwin offered.

Another half chuckle came from Levi. “I basically have already.”

“Then let's make it official. Move in.”

“Alright.” They’d work out the details later.

Erwin settled down into his arms again, the side of his face pressed to Levi’s chest. He wondered if Erwin could hear his heartbeat. They stayed quiet for a few minutes, their breathing slow and steady.

“If you did have to choose another job.” Levi scanned over the books on Erwin’s shelf, already thinking of how to organize their combined collection of architecture books. “What would you do?”

“I’d probably get hired on at the world’s best architecture firm, rise to the top to be the CEO, then buy out our current employer.”

Levi gave a small smile. “Vicious.”

“I’m just kidding,” Erwin laughed. “I don’t know. Maybe construction management? I’ve always liked visiting construction sites, and working outside sometimes seems fun.”

Levi shrugged and nodded. “Sure, but I think you like it best where you are now.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Erwin’s head.

“You’re right.”

“One more thing,” Levi started. It had been something he’d been thinking about for a while. “Could we try sailing again?” Erwin was hesitant and overly cautious last time. Perhaps now he was ready to give it another chance.

Erwin shrugged a shoulder. “Alright. I guess we could try again.” He moved in for another kiss, this time adding pressure behind it. Levi’s hand snuck around to the back of Erwin’s neck and-

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

His phone was going off. Levi paused for a second, then went back to Erwin, slanting their mouths together-

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

Erwin pulled back. “Are you going to get that?”

“No.” He was very busy. Levi tried to capture his lips again but Erwin dodged him.

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

“Someone’s calling you.”

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

_Bbbbbzzzzttt._

Levi heaved a breath and reached into his pocket to take his phone out.

“Fucking shit.” Eren Jaeger’s name was on the screen. Levi’s gut twisted. Why was he calling? Their last interaction was not a good one. “I don’t wanna answer this,” he turned the phone so Erwin could see.

“Why not?”  Erwin tilted his head to the side, like he didn’t fucking know why.

“You watched us outside.” Levi fixed him with a hard look. “You saw what happened.”

“How could I not watch? Ah, he’s calling again. Answer him.”

 _Bbbbbzzzzttt._  

“No, I’m busy-”

Erwin leaned forward and used his nose to hit the green answer button. Fucker. Levi mouthed the word as he held the phone to his head.

“Levi-”

“What?” Levi sounded harsh there, he winced.

“Levi, I kinda need your help.”

“Kind of?”

“Yeah. I can’t get home.” Levi heard the whooshing of a car in the background.

“Eren, where the hell are you?”

“I’m at a gas station.”

“What one?”

“One of em. The one with the the green star.”

“7-Eleven? How can you not get home? Call a cab, or an Uber.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Eren. Figure it out.”

“I can’t, they’ll know I’m drunk.”

“So? They don’t care-”

“Can you come get me?”

Levi saw Erwin’s eyebrows raise for a moment before he quickly covered the expression with a neutral expression. Levi heaved a sigh.

“Where’s Jean?” Levi asked.

“I don’t care where Jean is.”

Okay. That explained what was going on. Levi thinned his lips and looked to Erwin again. Erwin shrugged and held his palm out.

“Why not? Lets pick him up. He obviously needs help,” Erwin whispered.

Levi held his hand over the receiver to muffle himself. “I don’t want to deal with this.”

“He’s drunk in public. What if he gets arrested?”

That would be just what Levi needed. To have to bail Eren out of the drunk tank. He didn’t want Eren to go through that. “We’ll pick him up and then call Jean.” Compromise.

“Sure,” Erwin gave him a thumbs up.

“Just come get me. Please?”

“Fine. At least tell me what street you’re on.”

With gps directions, eventually they managed to find the 7-Eleven where Eren was located. Erwin pulled up and Levi rolled down the passenger’s side window. “If you throw up in the backseat, I’m going to toss you off the side of a bridge.”

“I won’t.” Eren stood from where he sat on the curb and dusted off the back of his pants. He opened the door of the white civic and got in.

“Don’t get it messy,” Levi chastised again, turning around in his seat to get a better look at Eren as Erwin pulled away.

Eren looked tired. Eyes red rimmed and unfocused. What the hell was going on with him? Levi narrowed his eyes. “Did you get drunk at home and wind up at the gas station, or did you just sit outside and slowly get smashed?”

Eren lifted a shoulder and looked out the window.

“Levi, he’s obviously upset…” Erwin made a turn, headed for their apartment.

“Well it’s pretty uncommon for someone to be this drunk at eight thirty pm, so I feel like I have a right to ask questions.”

“Can we stop by Dunkin Donuts?” Eren asked from the backseat, earning himself an astounded look from Levi.

“No.” Levi turned back in his seat and began to rub his temple, feeling a headache coming on. The car was silent. His drunken ex was in the backseat and his current boyfriend was driving. Levi couldn’t think of a more awkward situation. He reached for the radio to turn it to something, anything to fill up the void so he could ignore the situation. Everyone would have to just deal with listening to Erwin’s preset NPR.

Luckily, they arrived at the apartment soon after. Eren wobbled as he lifted himself up onto the first step, so Levi wrapped an arm around him to help him up. He didn’t miss the quick glance from Erwin as he did so. If Erwin was jealous he didn’t need to be. Eren was sloppy and smelled like orange juice and vodka. Levi only wanted to take care of him. Eren was maneuvered onto the couch, flopping down in the same spot Levi and Erwin were half an hour ago, and would probably still be if Eren hadn’t called him.

Eren threw his arm over his face and Levi’s irritation waned. Obviously, something was up. It had to be Jean.

“Let me see your phone.”  Levi held out his hand.

“No.”

“Hand it over.” Levi used his firm voice and Eren dug into his pocket to fish out his phone and passed it to Levi.

“Whatever.”

Levi felt a strange sense of familiarity as he punched in Eren’s old passcode and it worked. There was a sense of nostalgia that he found himself missing. Although he had zero romantic feelings, Levi did still have the urge to keep in touch with him and to keep updated on how he was doing. He wanted Eren to be happy. He tapped the phone screen and found Jean’s number, dialing.

“H-Hey. I’m at work so-”

“This is Levi. Do you know where Eren is?”

“At the apartment?”

“No, he’s at-” His eyes flicked to Erwin, “My new apartment.”

“What? Why is he with you?”

“Because he’s drunk and couldn’t get home.” Levi shifted his weight and crossed his arm. “Did this happen because of something you did?”

“I don’t know- Maybe. I was stupid… What’s your address? I’ll be there soon.”

Levi rattled off the address,  hung up and tossed the phone back on Eren, the device landing on his stomach. “He’s coming over.”

“Who? Jean?”

“Yeah, who else? Just close your eyes and try to sober up before he gets here.”

Eren grunted and turned over on the sofa, facing the back to hide his face. His shoulders drew up, sulking like a teenager.

To Levi’s surprise, Erwin approached him and gave Eren’s arm an awkward pat, “I’m sure it’ll be alright,” he reassured him in a deep, soothing tone. The thought of Erwin as a father flitted through Levi’s head.

Eren turned halfway. “He said he was moving out. Said he couldn’t live with me if I wasn’t sure about being  _with_ him.”

Levi wasn’t surprised about Eren’s lack of commitment. He had all the passion, but no direction.

“I just don’t want someone to leave me again.”

Fuck. Levi felt a pang in his gut. He definitely contributed to that insecurity. He averted his eyes and stared at the wall instead. He should have broken it off differently.

“But I _do_ want to be with him.”

“Then tell him,” Erwin said plainly. “Being vague and beating around the bush doesn’t work. Trust me.”

Eren stayed silent  and Erwin left him to head to the kitchen. “Let's give him some space,” he whispered for Levi to hear.

Levi followed him into the kitchen and as soon as they were in the room he found himself pushed up against the wall. Erwin’s firm hand on his shoulder held him in place as Levi was kissed _hard._ Good lord he kissed well. Erwin’s whole body pressed against his, his hips rolling. When Levi inhaled all he could smell was Erwin’s clean woody scent. Levi recovered and kissed him back briefly before pushing on Erwin’s chest.

Erwin straightened, face flushed. “Sorry, I just felt like doing that,” he ran a hand through his own hair and cleared this throat.

“Is it out of your system?” Levi had a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Not quite, but I can hold it in for later.”  Erwin gave him a wink and reached for a bottle of wine. Levi followed suit and reached for two glasses. Might as well have a glass. Today had been stressful as fuck.  

Just as Levi had taken the first sip, he heard the door buzz. He hit the “enter” button without checking who it was. Jean was faster than he expected. There was a rapid series of knocks on against the front door before Levi jerked it open.

“Be more patient,” Levi scolded, eyeing Jean who was sweaty and dressed in a white polo and apron. Ah, so he worked at Dunkin Donuts He held a small box of what Levi presumed were doughnut holes. “Just come in. He’s on the couch.”

“Yeah,” Jean sounded winded, probably from taking the stairs two at a time. He moved past Levi and quickly approached Eren on the couch. “Hey…” His voice was gentle.

Eren rolled over immediately. “Hey.”

Levi retreated to the kitchen again, hearing Jean reply as he left the room.

“I bought doughnuts…”

 

\---

 

Levi dipped his fingertips into the water. The sea was opaque aquamarine. Still cool to the touch, but it didn’t have the chill that it held last time Levi and Erwin had sailed. Before they had pushed the sailboat into the water, Erwin had licked a finger and held it up into the air. Levi wrinkled his nose, but Erwin had stated the wind was good for sailing, coming from the west when they were setting out facing north.

Levi was just grateful that the wind was kind. There wasn’t much to protect from the direct sun when they were on the small sailboat, and the wind did a great job of wicking any sweat from his skin. It felt good. Warm spring air and the fresh ocean water.

Erwin was at the tiller again to work the rudder to steer and Levi worked the sails, able to remember most of the instructions from last time and from studying up. They got out a decent way away from shore, enough to see a little land, but also the wide welcoming stretch of ocean before them.

The boat was comfortably silent, the waves gently lapping against the side. Levi stole a glance back toward Erwin to find his eyes on the horizon. He caught Levi looking at him and gave him a little smile. “Good day, isn’t it?”

Levi turned back to the sails, loosening them to decrease the speed of the boat. “It’s a gorgeous day,” he affirmed, letting the sails flap loose in the wind. He leaned down to roll up his pant legs and slip off his shoes.

“Levi?” Erwin asked, but Levi was already up and moving to the edge of the boat. He sat on the edge of boat, holding his legs out straight to keep them from getting in the water just yet.

“Come here.”

Erwin hesitated for a moment, glancing to shore, then down at his hand and back to Levi. He gingerly stood, trying not to rock the boat as he rolled up his own pants and slipped off his sandals. The boat leaned to the side as they both sat on the same side, Erwin copying Levi’s posture by holding his legs out, his hand gripping the side of the boat.

“On three we drop our legs,” Levi explained. “One, two, three.”

In synchrony, they both let their feet dip into the water. Cool ocean water surrounded Levi’s feet, enveloping his thin ankles. It felt good. Refreshing.

Erwin hummed beside him, gently kicking at the waves. The wind combed through his blond hair, and Levi saw a smile on his face again.  

End.

 

\---

  


Extra:

 

Erwin gave the waitress a bright smile. “It’s our anniversary.”  

“Oh?” The waitress gave a smile back and looked from Erwin to Levi and back again, “It’s been that long? Congratulations!”

“Yes, it’s been a wonderful _two_ years, hasn’t it Levi?” Erwin asked, nudging Levi’s foot with his own.

Levi’s arms were folded over his chest. He really didn’t want to do this again, but Erwin needed his free dessert, huh? He reached for his wine glass. “Yeah. Great,” at least it was their actual anniversary this time.

He looked across the table at Erwin and the foot against his rubbed affectionately. The waitress prattled on and Levi tuned her out, his eyes growing soft as he shared a look with Erwin. It had been a really great year, actually.

 

\---

 

Extra #2:

 

“Erwin, we have to talk about something.” Levi pulled up a seat across from him at the table for two by the window, what they usually used for their meals. The view was gorgeous, morning light shone through to illuminate Erwin, who sat in front of a cup of steaming coffee and the crumbs of two pieces of buttered toast.

“Yes?” Erwin looked up and reached for his coffee. They were about ready to go to work, Levi already in his dress shirt and slacks, and Erwin in _that coat._  It was the last chilly day of spring, and probably the last time Levi would see that coat for awhile. He needed to say something.

“Remember when you let me borrow that coat a long time ago?” Levi sat down stiffly. Every time Erwin wore that coat, he felt a strange mix of satisfaction and shame. He loved that Erwin walked around with a coat he had personally marked with his come, but he shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t right that he did that to one of Erwin’s possessions and let him walk around wearing it without knowing.

“I remember, yes.” Erwin nodded, taking a drink of his coffee.

“Well…” Levi swallowed. Maybe if he said it quickly it would be like ripping a bandaid off. “I really liked it. Your cologne stuck to it and I kind of used it to jerk off.”

Levi winced and watched as Erwin paused mid drink, freezing as he looked at Levi. Was he going to spit it out? Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. It would have been easier to push down the shitty feelings and take the shame to his grave. Erwin swallowed carefully, his adam's apple bobbing. He stayed quiet, processing the information.

“You used it to-”

“Yeah. I washed it a couple times, of course.” He knew his face must be flushed with embarrassment. He shouldn’t have said anything.

Erwin cleared his throat and set down his coffee cup, leaning back in his the chair. There was a knowing smile on his lips. “So is this a _thing_ for you?”

He was quick as ever to catch onto what was happening. Levi folded his arms and rolled his eyes. Erwin was also weird as fuck. “So, you’re not mad that I jizzed on your coat?”

“No.” That smile grew, like Erwin thought he’d won something. “If this is a kink of yours, I wouldn’t mind if you did it again.”

“ _Erwin_.”

“I’m very open to new things, Levi.”

“I’m aware.” Levi scrubbed a hand over his face. Of course Erwin was okay with his weird kink. It made Levi wonder what weird kinks Erwin was hiding himself. Levi found himself okay with the possibility of weird fetishes, so long as Erwin didn’t go around jerking off on his coat.

 


End file.
